Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government what ratio of apprentices to professional staff they consider appropriate when inviting bids to build ships for naval or civil purposes.

The Department does not require a specific ratio of apprenticeships to professional staff from shipbuilders as part of the tendering process, but all of the shipyards currently delivering major programmes have significant apprenticeship schemes.

We fully recognise the powerful value that apprenticeships offer to boost employment and as an important part of building a diverse and highly skilled workforce. The Government works closely with employers to encourage and support them to invest in training and development at all stages to build a sustainable pipeline of labour.

The National Shipbuilding Office (NSO) works closely with businesses across the sector to understand their skills requirements and challenges and will set out more detail in the Shipbuilding and Maritime Technology Action Plan.