Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to ensure that any apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds receive access to any (1) laptops, and (2) broadband connections, required for them to complete assessments and functional skills tests remotely.

We are committed to supporting apprentices and employers to safely continue with, and complete, their programmes during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Following the announcement of a new national lockdown on 4 January 2021, employers and training providers must ensure that training and assessment takes place remotely. Face-to-face training and assessment can continue for vulnerable young apprentices – which includes 16- to 18-year-olds who may have difficulty engaging with remote training and assessment at home due to a lack of IT equipment or connectivity – and in employers’ COVID-secure settings where it is essential for workers to attend their workplace, and where it is safe and practical to do so.

Employers are responsible for providing their employees, including apprentices, with the tools they need to work remotely and should support apprentices with the digital resources they need to also continue their apprenticeships remotely. This includes access to equipment required for remote assessments and Functional Skills tests. Training providers may also be able to support apprentices with access to equipment where required.

To support businesses during this time, we have extended the incentive payments for employers of up to £2000 for each new apprentice they hire until the end of March 2021. Employers can use this funding to help meet any of the costs associated with supporting a new apprentice in the workplace, including providing laptops and other resources for learning.