Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of barriers faced by logistics businesses attempting to access the Apprenticeship Levy for their training requirements.

The department is committed to supporting employers within the logistics sector to make full use of apprenticeships to develop the skilled workforces they need, now and in the future. Employers have developed 37 high-quality apprenticeship standards within the transport and logistics sector, including transport and warehouse operations supervisor, supply chain leadership professional and network operations.

We have fast-tracked applications to the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) for providers nominated by employers hosting the Large Goods Vehicle standard to tackle the urgent need for drivers. This allowed new providers to apply to the Register and be fast tracked to deliver for employers needing training.

In May 2022, the department also introduced a temporary exception to the RoATP, allowing lead providers to subcontract to unregistered providers delivering training and testing for the acquisition of driving licences. This has increased training capacity and access to more of the available testing provision, and this exception is in place until 31 July 2023.

In 2021, a new version of the Large Goods Vehicle Driver apprenticeship was launched and the department increased funding from £5,000 to £7,000 to support providers delivering the standard. Additionally, the department is reviewing the funding band for the Heavy Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician apprenticeship standard, as requested by employers, and a decision will be made as soon as possible.

The department is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by the 2024/25 financial year and employers within the transport and logistics sector can access this funding for the high-quality apprenticeships they choose to meet their business needs and to help fill skills gaps within their industry.