Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent Spending Review, what discussions they have held with further education providers, heritage craft training organisations, and relevant guilds regarding the development of targeted apprenticeships and upskilling programmes to support the transmission of traditional and endangered craft skills to ensure the sustainability of the UK’s heritage craft sector.

As highlighted in the recent debate on support for the crafts sector (12th July), the UK’s craft industry is a custodian of heritage, a source of enrichment, and a powerful driver of growth.

The skills system is central to achieving economic growth and breaking down barriers to opportunity. The government will provide £1.2 billion of additional investment in the skills system per year by 2028-29, and will set out further detail on its plans in a strategy for post-16 education and skills later in the year.

DCMS ministers will meet with sector representatives to discuss craft skills soon. As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the government will also work with industry to support creative sector training pathways, including through a new DCMS and Skills England led Creative Sector Skills Forum. We will develop the growth and skills offer to deliver apprenticeships and skills training that recognises the particular needs of the Creative Industries, of which the crafts industry is a vital part.