Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to limit the entry requirements for level two apprenticeships.

High-quality apprenticeships at level 2 are an important part of our programme, supporting people from all backgrounds to gain the skills they need to begin or progress in their career. To help employers offer new apprenticeships at all levels, employers can claim £3,000 for each apprentice they take on as a new employee until 30 September 2021, as part of the government’s Plan for Jobs.

Although it is for employers to decide which apprenticeships they offer and when, and any specific entry requirements, we encourage employers to open up apprenticeship opportunities to a wide group of potential applicants. To remove barriers to entry for prospective apprentices, we are clear to employers that we will fund apprentices without English and maths to achieve Functional Skills qualifications during their apprenticeship.

Our Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network of over 85 employers promotes best practice in recruiting and supporting apprentices from less advantaged backgrounds to diversify their workforce. In addition, our Apprenticeships Support and Knowledge programme supports schools across England to provide students with information on apprenticeships.

Through our Plan for Jobs, we are also providing a range of support to help young people access high-quality training to develop the skills, experience, and confidence to obtain an apprenticeship. We are supporting the largest-ever expansion of traineeships to help young people who are not yet ready for an apprenticeship, providing funding for an additional 30,000 places in the 2020/21 academic year. We are also working with the Department for Work and Pensions to enable Kickstart placements to turn into apprenticeships where that is the right thing for the employer and the young person. We have made a special provision to allow employers taking on ‘Kickstarters’ as apprentices to be eligible for the incentive payment, supporting a pathway between the schemes.