Mar. 24 2024
Source Page: PM announces national endeavour to strengthen the UK's nuclear deterrentFound: deterrent and securing cheaper, more reliable energy for UK consumers.
Written Evidence Mar. 13 2024
Inquiry: Heating our homesFound: employer-led model allows for the content of occupational standards to be tailored to the needs of industry
Written Evidence Apr. 24 2024
Inquiry: A flexible Grid for the futureFound: the Midlands, the South West and Wales; and National Grid Ventures, which owns and operates energy
Written Evidence Apr. 16 2024
Inquiry: High streets in towns and small citiesFound: rollercoaster years of the pandemic5 restrictions and lockdowns and now face ongoing challenges of high energy
Asked by: Baroness Garden of Frognal (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage small businesses to engage in apprenticeship programmes aimed at delivering a skilled pipeline of electrical contractors into the workforce.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Apprenticeships provide a fantastic opportunity for people to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to progress into electrical occupations, and the department is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25 to support employers of all sizes to grow their apprenticeships workforce.
The department’s employer-designed apprenticeship standards ensure that apprentices are gaining relevant industry experience to progress in over 690 different occupations, including in electrical occupations such as Level 3 domestic electrician, Level 4 building energy management systems controls engineer and Level 6 electro-mechanical engineer.
The department has made it easier for smaller employers to recruit the next generation of talent removing the limit on the number of apprentices they can take on and cutting by a third the number of steps needed to register to take on an apprentice. The department continues to fund 95% of the cost of apprenticeships in small employers who do not pay the levy and meet 100% of the cost for the smallest employers (fewer than 50 staff) when they take on eligible young apprentices. The levy transfer system has also been simplified so smaller employers can more easily benefit from transferred funds.
Written Evidence Jan. 25 2024
Inquiry: Heating our homesFound: Committee on 22nd November, I agreed to provide you with some further information on simplifying energy
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q83 of the oral evidence given by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence to the Public Accounts Committee on 22 January 2024, HC 451, what plans he has to recruit an extra ten thousand (a) apprentices, (b) graduate engineers and (c) people in other professions.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The Nuclear Skills Taskforce is addressing how the UK continues to build nuclear skills and address challenges across its defence and civil workforce to help the UK meet its nuclear ambition.
The Taskforce is chaired by Sir Simon Bollom KBE and includes representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Department for Education, academia, professional bodies and industry partners. Since September 2023, meetings have taken place almost weekly.
As set out by the Permanent Secretary, a report setting out the Taskforce’s findings and recommendations will be presented to Ministers shortly with publication to follow in due course. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on future recruitment plans before the Government has given that report due consideration.
Mentions:
1: Gillian Keegan (Con - Chichester) I was delighted to join Harry, Chloe and other EDF Energy apprentices off the coast of Blyth, as well - Speech Link
2: Gillian Keegan (Con - Chichester) We are always happy to work with any industry that sees an opportunity for more apprentices to be trained - Speech Link
3: Robert Halfon (Con - Harlow) have frozen tuition fees; families across the country have been given, on average, £3,700 to help with energy - Speech Link
4: Robert Halfon (Con - Harlow) He is a champion of the automotive and motorsport industry in his constituency. - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Lumsden, Douglas (Con - North East Scotland) not have a blinkered view of the world.That brings me to something that I remember from the nuclear industry - Speech Link
2: Lumsden, Douglas (Con - North East Scotland) It lets down our energy industry and our communities, and it badly affects our standing with our neighbours.I - Speech Link
3: Whitfield, Martin (Lab - South Scotland) We need to support the nuclear power industry as we go forward, in particular for the apprentices, the - Speech Link
4: Ewing, Fergus (SNP - Inverness and Nairn) If you do not do that, you have a very serious problem—as Germany has discovered, with much of its industry - Speech Link
Mentions:
1: Damian Collins (Con - Folkestone and Hythe) They can be designed not just to meet our energy demand; they could also be an export industry for the - Speech Link
2: Damian Collins (Con - Folkestone and Hythe) having long-term employment that attracts some of the best talent and encourages people, including apprentices - Speech Link
3: Liz Saville Roberts (PC - Dwyfor Meirionnydd) I remember a programme of apprentices who had to finish their apprenticeships elsewhere because they - Speech Link
4: Andrew Bowie (Con - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) We recognise the need to increase the number of apprentices to ensure that the nuclear sector can keep - Speech Link