Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase long-term funding for courses to develop local skills for Net Zero delivery.

The UK100 ‘Skills for Local Net Zero Delivery’ briefing (October 2021) sets out recommendations on net zero delivery. This includes a recommendation to create several cross-government fora. The department is already engaging across government and industry on net zero skills.

The Green Jobs Delivery Group was set up in response to the Green Jobs Taskforce report. It is the key vehicle for industry and government department collaboration. We work together to understand workforce challenges including skills gaps. By listening to experts, we can meet the challenges of supporting green sectors.

In the 2021 Autumn Budget and Spending Review, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor announced a £1.6 billion investment in the National Skills Fund from 2022 to 2025, including a £550 million investment to expand Skills Bootcamps. Separate grant funding up to £70 million is available to local areas, to deliver Skills Bootcamps in local skills priorities.

Apprenticeships have been made easier for small to medium enterprises to benefit from levy transfers, with a new pledge and online transfer service. As at March 2022, over 145 employers have pledged to transfer £8.9 million to support apprenticeships in businesses of all sizes. Apprenticeships are available in a range of green skills, such as Arboriculturist (level 4) and Nuclear Reactor Desk Engineer (level 6). The Green Apprenticeships and Technical Education Advisory Panel is reviewing occupational standards to see which incorporate green skills and where that can be improved.

£268 million of capital funding has been provided for T-Level courses starting in 2020 - 2022. Since May 2019, staff in further education (FE) have participated in the T Level Professional Development offer. The department has invested over £23 million until March 2021 and has committed over £15 million in 2021/22 to continue the offer. We have provided over £200 million in capacity and delivery funding to providers, to help FE staff to establish the infrastructure and resources needed to deliver industry placements since 2018/19. The 2022 pass rate for Design, Surveying & Planning for Construction, which prepares students for occupations including Civil Engineering Technician and Building Control Officer, was 93.7%.

The Strategic Development Fund (SDF) provides capital and programme funding to enable FE providers to work together locally to update teaching, training facilities, and provision to meet the needs of employers, as set out in Local Skills Improvement Plans. Funding can be used to upgrade facilities to better meet the needs of their local economy, enable a more coordinated local further education offer, support ongoing provider quality improvement, and stimulate employer demand for and investment in skills. SDF was piloted in 2021 with £65 million and rolled out nationally in 2022 with £92 million.

Institutes of Technology (IoTs) are employer-led institutions delivering provision tailored to local employers. They specialise in technical skills in STEM sectors, including advanced digital, manufacturing, engineering, and green skills. We plan to invest up to £120 million of capital funding in a further nine IoTs. Students can study courses such as Construction and the Built Environment and Electrical Engineering.