Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Smith of Malvern on 19 December 2024 (HL2929), how many apprenticeship places in each year since 2010 have been (1) made available, and (2) filled, in (a) thatching, (b) stonemasonry, (c) lead work, and (d) the use of lime mortars, to support employers and learners in the heritage sector to develop the skills they need.

The table below provides details of Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship vacancies that were advertised on the Find an Apprenticeship (FAA) service on GOV.UK since the 2020/21 academic year. There have been no vacancies for the Level 2 Thatcher standard, which will be available for starts once a suitable end-point assessment organisation (EPAO) has obtained Ofqual recognition, or the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson standard advertised on the FAA service.

The department encourages employers to advertise on FAA to maximise engagement with their vacancies and to ensure that they are accessible to all potential apprentices, but not all choose to use the service. Employers may choose to recruit apprentices through their own channels, for example via their own websites, which the department does not monitor. The figures below therefore may not represent the total number of vacancies advertised.

Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship vacancies on FAA by year*

* Numbers rounded to nearest 10.

The table below provides apprenticeship starts on the Level 2 Stonemason apprenticeship and the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson apprenticeship as published in the ‘Apprenticeships statistics’ publication. The Level 2 Stonemason standard was approved for delivery in June 2021 and the Level 4 Stained Glass Craftsperson standard was approved for delivery in February 2023.

There have been no starts on the Level 2 Thatcher apprenticeship standard, which was approved for delivery in February 2024.

Starts by academic year*

* 0 indicates a true zero value and '-' indicates data not applicable.

* Source is the Individualised Learner Record.

* Apprenticeships, Academic year 2023/24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK

More broadly, employers are encouraged to take working on heritage buildings into account when designing or revising construction occupational standards. Apprenticeship standards which may also support the heritage sector include the Level 2 Bricklayer standard and the Level 3 Craft Carpentry and Joinery apprenticeship standard.