Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help provide skills training opportunities for adults with disabilities.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), which was £1.34 billion in the 2022/23 financial year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and neurodivergent adults, from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship, or further learning.
The AEB includes learning support funding to enable colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and meet the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Learning Support can cover a range of needs including an assessment for dyslexia, funding to pay for specialist equipment or helpers, and arranging signers or note takers.
The department is working to ensure that a learning difficulty or disability is not a barrier to people who want to realise the benefits of an apprenticeship. To ensure that employers are supported to create new apprenticeship opportunities, we provide targeted financial support directly to training providers to help remove barriers for people with a learning difficulty or disability.
Providers can access learning support funding of £150 per month where a reasonable adjustment is delivered and evidenced. Employers can access the Department for Work and Pensions’ Access to Work scheme to better support apprentices with disabilities.
The department has also improved the Find an Apprenticeship service to allow people to identify Disability Confident Employers offering opportunities. The department has launched a Disabled Apprentice Network in partnership with Disability Rights UK to provide valuable insight and evidence on how to attract and retain people with disabilities into apprenticeships.
Additionally, the department’s skills offers include Skills Bootcamps and Free Courses for Jobs. Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview with an employer on completion.
There are now hundreds of Skills Bootcamps available across the country, offering training in digital, technical (including engineering and manufacturing), construction, logistics (HGV driving), and skills that support the green economy, including heat pump engineer and electric vehicle maintenance and repair and zero carbon construction.
The Free Courses for Jobs offer gives eligible adults the chance to access high value level 3 qualification for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job. The courses available offer good wage outcomes and address skills needs in the economy, empowering adults with the tools they need to secure a better job.
Adults in England without a full level 3 are eligible for these qualifications. In addition, adults in England are also eligible if they are earning under the National Living Wage annually, or £18,525 from April 2022, or are unemployed, regardless of their prior qualification level. There are over 400 qualifications on offer in areas such as engineering, social care and accounting, alongside many others. These qualifications have been identified for their strong wage outcomes and ability to meet key skills needs.
Both of these offers are open to all eligible learners, including adults with a disability or for neurodiverse adults.
Neurodiverse adults and those with disabilities can access free, up-to-date, and impartial information, advice and guidance on the full range of skills training opportunities through the National Careers Service. Discussions are tailored to meet the individual needs and circumstances of each customer. Adults with special educational needs and/or disabilities are one of six priority groups who are eligible for more targeted support from careers advisers. The website https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/ is regularly updated, with a programme of continuous improvement. The content currently includes around 800 job profiles, a course directory and information on how to find a job, build a CV, and interview techniques.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to provide skills training opportunities for neurodiverse adults.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB), which was £1.34 billion in the 2022/23 financial year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and neurodivergent adults, from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship, or further learning.
The AEB includes learning support funding to enable colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and meet the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Learning Support can cover a range of needs including an assessment for dyslexia, funding to pay for specialist equipment or helpers, and arranging signers or note takers.
The department is working to ensure that a learning difficulty or disability is not a barrier to people who want to realise the benefits of an apprenticeship. To ensure that employers are supported to create new apprenticeship opportunities, we provide targeted financial support directly to training providers to help remove barriers for people with a learning difficulty or disability.
Providers can access learning support funding of £150 per month where a reasonable adjustment is delivered and evidenced. Employers can access the Department for Work and Pensions’ Access to Work scheme to better support apprentices with disabilities.
The department has also improved the Find an Apprenticeship service to allow people to identify Disability Confident Employers offering opportunities. The department has launched a Disabled Apprentice Network in partnership with Disability Rights UK to provide valuable insight and evidence on how to attract and retain people with disabilities into apprenticeships.
Additionally, the department’s skills offers include Skills Bootcamps and Free Courses for Jobs. Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview with an employer on completion.
There are now hundreds of Skills Bootcamps available across the country, offering training in digital, technical (including engineering and manufacturing), construction, logistics (HGV driving), and skills that support the green economy, including heat pump engineer and electric vehicle maintenance and repair and zero carbon construction.
The Free Courses for Jobs offer gives eligible adults the chance to access high value level 3 qualification for free, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job. The courses available offer good wage outcomes and address skills needs in the economy, empowering adults with the tools they need to secure a better job.
Adults in England without a full level 3 are eligible for these qualifications. In addition, adults in England are also eligible if they are earning under the National Living Wage annually, or £18,525 from April 2022, or are unemployed, regardless of their prior qualification level. There are over 400 qualifications on offer in areas such as engineering, social care and accounting, alongside many others. These qualifications have been identified for their strong wage outcomes and ability to meet key skills needs.
Both of these offers are open to all eligible learners, including adults with a disability or for neurodiverse adults.
Neurodiverse adults and those with disabilities can access free, up-to-date, and impartial information, advice and guidance on the full range of skills training opportunities through the National Careers Service. Discussions are tailored to meet the individual needs and circumstances of each customer. Adults with special educational needs and/or disabilities are one of six priority groups who are eligible for more targeted support from careers advisers. The website https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/ is regularly updated, with a programme of continuous improvement. The content currently includes around 800 job profiles, a course directory and information on how to find a job, build a CV, and interview techniques.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has he made of the impact of inflation on the average incomes of (a) parents supporting 16 to19 year olds in full-time (i) further education colleges and (ii) school sixth forms, (b) adults in part-time further education and (c) post-16 apprentices; and whether his Department is taking steps to help mitigate the impact of inflation on these groups.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department has carried out research in these areas. We have collected survey data on the impact of rising cost of living on households, including whether parents have cut back on household costs to fund education-related costs, and whether affordability has impacted their child’s participation in educational activities in the 2021/22 academic year. This data relates to parents of secondary school pupils in England, but those who responded to the survey could also be parents of learners in further education. The same surveys also asked pupils and learners in post-16 education in classroom settings in England about some facets of cost of living, in particular whether the rising cost of living has led to those pupils and learners changing their plans for education or training.
The survey data from the 2021/22 academic year has been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parent-pupil-and-learner-panel-omnibus-surveys-for-2021-to-2022. The department intends to collect similar data for the 2022/23 academic year and we will publish this data in due course.
The government appreciates the difficulties caused by the rising cost of living and inflation, and is focused on levelling up so that young people and adults, regardless of their background or geographic location, can get the skills and training they need to secure rewarding, well-paid jobs and move up the ladder of opportunity.
The department provides a number of financial support programmes for those students who need the most help with the costs associated with staying in post-16 education. This includes extra funding to providers for disadvantaged students aged 16 to 19 with low prior attainment, or those who live in the most disadvantaged areas. In addition, the 16 to 19 bursary fund targets support towards young people who need the most help with education-related costs. In the 2022/23 academic year the department is providing £164 million to help financially disadvantaged students participate in post-16 education to cover such costs as travel, meals, books and course equipment, and over £31 million for free meals.
The department also provided over £550 million in the 2021/22 academic year to enable providers of 16 to 19 education to recruit, support, and retain disadvantaged students, and support those with special education needs and disabilities.
For those learners aged 19 and over, providers receive disadvantage uplift so that there is increased funding for learners living in deprived areas. In addition, funds are made available to providers to help adults overcome barriers to learning. This includes Learner Support, which is available to colleges and providers to support learners aged 19 and over with a specific financial hardship which is preventing them from taking part and/or continuing in learning, and learning support which is available to meet the cost of putting in place reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010, for learners who have an identified learning difficulty and/or disability, to achieve their learning goal.
The department has also taken steps to improve apprentice pay, including aligning the apprentice national minimum wage rate with the national minimum wage rate for under 18s, and accepting in full the recommendations of the Independent Low Pay Commission to increase the apprentice national minimum wage by 9.7% from April 2023.
Asked by: Emma Hardy (Labour - Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has undertaken research into the impact of level of inflation on the incomes of (a) parents with 16-19 year olds in full-time further education, (b) adults in part-time further education and (c) post-16 apprentices.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department has carried out research in these areas. We have collected survey data on the impact of rising cost of living on households, including whether parents have cut back on household costs to fund education-related costs, and whether affordability has impacted their child’s participation in educational activities in the 2021/22 academic year. This data relates to parents of secondary school pupils in England, but those who responded to the survey could also be parents of learners in further education. The same surveys also asked pupils and learners in post-16 education in classroom settings in England about some facets of cost of living, in particular whether the rising cost of living has led to those pupils and learners changing their plans for education or training.
The survey data from the 2021/22 academic year has been published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parent-pupil-and-learner-panel-omnibus-surveys-for-2021-to-2022. The department intends to collect similar data for the 2022/23 academic year and we will publish this data in due course.
The government appreciates the difficulties caused by the rising cost of living and inflation, and is focused on levelling up so that young people and adults, regardless of their background or geographic location, can get the skills and training they need to secure rewarding, well-paid jobs and move up the ladder of opportunity.
The department provides a number of financial support programmes for those students who need the most help with the costs associated with staying in post-16 education. This includes extra funding to providers for disadvantaged students aged 16 to 19 with low prior attainment, or those who live in the most disadvantaged areas. In addition, the 16 to 19 bursary fund targets support towards young people who need the most help with education-related costs. In the 2022/23 academic year the department is providing £164 million to help financially disadvantaged students participate in post-16 education to cover such costs as travel, meals, books and course equipment, and over £31 million for free meals.
The department also provided over £550 million in the 2021/22 academic year to enable providers of 16 to 19 education to recruit, support, and retain disadvantaged students, and support those with special education needs and disabilities.
For those learners aged 19 and over, providers receive disadvantage uplift so that there is increased funding for learners living in deprived areas. In addition, funds are made available to providers to help adults overcome barriers to learning. This includes Learner Support, which is available to colleges and providers to support learners aged 19 and over with a specific financial hardship which is preventing them from taking part and/or continuing in learning, and learning support which is available to meet the cost of putting in place reasonable adjustments, as set out in the Equality Act 2010, for learners who have an identified learning difficulty and/or disability, to achieve their learning goal.
The department has also taken steps to improve apprentice pay, including aligning the apprentice national minimum wage rate with the national minimum wage rate for under 18s, and accepting in full the recommendations of the Independent Low Pay Commission to increase the apprentice national minimum wage by 9.7% from April 2023.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help homeless young people access vocational courses.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Students and young people participating in vocational education or training that are homeless may access a range of financial support to help them to participate.
Students aged 16-19, or aged up to 25 with an education, health and care (EHC) plan may be able to receive support from the 16-19 Bursary Fund. This supports financially disadvantaged students, helping them remain in education or training, and supports them in meeting costs associated with studying, such as travel, books, equipment, and trips. In the 2022/23 academic year the department allocated nearly £144 million for institutions to help these students. In addition, the department has made available Bursary Funds of over £21 million for vulnerable 16–19-year-old students (such as those who are in care, care leavers and those who are supporting themselves and claiming benefits). The department has also made over £31 million available for free meals in further education, as well as childcare and residential support where needed.
The department wants more young people to benefit from apprenticeships that offer high quality training and opportunities for progression. The department is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25 and continuing to offer £1,000 payments to employers when they hire apprentices aged 16 to18, or those aged 19 to 24 who are care leavers or have an EHC plan.
The Adult Education Budget (AEB), worth £1.34 billion in the 2022/23 academic year, fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.
The AEB includes funding to enable colleges and providers to help adult learners, including those who are homeless, to overcome barriers which prevent them from taking part in learning. This includes Learner Support for learners aged over 19 with a specific financial hardship, where providers have discretion to help learners meet the costs associated with studying. Learning Support also enables colleges and training providers to meet the additional needs of learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and meet the costs of reasonable adjustments as set out in the Equality Act 2010. Learning Support can cover a range of needs including an assessment for dyslexia, funding to pay for specialist equipment or helpers, and arranging signers or note takers.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make it his policy to require large employers to collect socioeconomic background data for use in (a) outreach work with schools and (b) recruitment and progression policies.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This government believes the circumstances of one's birth should not determine life outcomes. The Social Mobility Commission (SMC), an independent body sponsored by the Equality Hub in the Cabinet Office, works to achieve this aim.
The Commission’s employer engagement team works with employers of varying size, across multiple sectors, to create more inclusive and diverse socio-economic workforces. Through their research and engagement with industry trade bodies and employers, and external diversity and inclusion research, they have produced guidance for employers that offers practical help and ideas. This includes guidance on how employers can collect the socio-economic background data of their workforce alongside other diversity data, which can be used by them to measure the socio-economic background of their employees and potential recruits in order to understand if their hiring or progression practices are as fair and meritocratic as they can be.
The SMC's advice is for employers to collect anonymous data from their workforce, apprentices and applicants using the key question "What was the occupation of your main household earner when you were about aged 14?" Optional supplementary questions include the type of school attended for ages 11-16 and eligibility for Free School Meals. Further information is available in their employers' toolkit.
The current approach encourages the collection of data on a voluntary basis, as a mandatory approach would represent a significant burden on employers.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will make it his policy to require all large employers to collect socio-economic background data on (a) work experience schemes, (b) apprenticeships and (c) entry-level applicants for use in (i) outreach work with schools and (ii) recruitment and progression policies.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
This government believes the circumstances of one's birth should not determine life outcomes. The Social Mobility Commission (SMC), an independent body sponsored by the Equality Hub in the Cabinet Office, works to achieve this aim.
The Commission’s employer engagement team works with employers of varying size, across multiple sectors, to create more inclusive and diverse socio-economic workforces. Through their research and engagement with industry trade bodies and employers, and external diversity and inclusion research, they have produced guidance for employers that offers practical help and ideas. This includes guidance on how employers can collect the socio-economic background data of their workforce alongside other diversity data, which can be used by them to measure the socio-economic background of their employees and potential recruits in order to understand if their hiring or progression practices are as fair and meritocratic as they can be.
The SMC's advice is for employers to collect anonymous data from their workforce, apprentices and applicants using the key question "What was the occupation of your main household earner when you were about aged 14?" Optional supplementary questions include the type of school attended for ages 11-16 and eligibility for Free School Meals. Further information is available in their employers' toolkit.
The current approach encourages the collection of data on a voluntary basis, as a mandatory approach would represent a significant burden on employers.
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department consulted functional skills qualifications professionals prior to taking the decision of April 2021 that functional skills qualifications should resume based on examination wherever possible while in line with covid-19 public health measures rather than using coursework and/or teacher assessed grades.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The department and Ofqual launched a joint consultation in January 2021, seeking the views of teachers, students, parents, schools and colleges. We set out our proposals on exams and assessments for vocational and technical qualifications, including for Functional Skills qualifications, and the alternative arrangements that would be used where exams do not take place. We also conducted an equality impact assessment as part of the consultation. The majority of respondents agreed that all efforts should be made to allow learners to take a Functional Skills assessment, in line with public health measures or remotely. Where the learner is ready, but assessments cannot take place in centres on public health grounds, teacher assessed grades are available.
As set out in the consultation, the size, structure, assessment, and teaching practices of Functional Skills differ from other qualifications. Many are taken on-demand and by a wide range of learners including 16-19 year olds, adults and apprentices, in a wide range of contexts. Learners will take assessments when they are ready. This approach was designed to give the maximum opportunity to progress in learning or employment, as it allows learners to engage with live exams now or results based on teacher assessment where these are necessary and appropriate.
We recognise the challenges suffered by many students who will feel apprehensive about taking assessments and we are incredibly grateful for the tremendous efforts that teachers have made to continue to provide high quality education throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Awarding organisations have long-established arrangements for mitigating the effect of issues such as those relating to mental health. This year, Ofqual has required awarding organisations to review those arrangements to ensure they are fit for purpose. Those students who are able to take assessments but are concerned about the impact of mental health affecting their performance should speak to their centres and awarding organisation to understand the special consideration process.
Additionally, remote invigilation has offered the opportunity to take assessments at home and some providers have reported that this has helped with anxiety. Together with Ofqual, we have supported the roll out of remote invigilation by awarding organisations to give more options to learners and centres for taking assessments. We have seen an increase in volumes of assessments taken via remote invigilation and also live assessments as settings have re-opened.
The department will monitor and review the impact of disruption to learning in vocational and technical qualifications (including Functional Skills qualifications) and General Qualifications (including GCSEs and A levels).
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the decision of April 2021 that assessment by examination should resume wherever possible while in line with covid-19 public health measures for functional skills qualifications (FSQ), what the evidential basis is that those students affected will be as able to receive grades that reflect their ability under normal circumstances; and what comparative assessment his Department has made of the effect of disruption to learning following the covid-19 outbreak on (a) those students studying for FSQs and (b) students studying for (i) vocational training qualifications, (ii) GCSEs and (iii) A Levels.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The department and Ofqual launched a joint consultation in January 2021, seeking the views of teachers, students, parents, schools and colleges. We set out our proposals on exams and assessments for vocational and technical qualifications, including for Functional Skills qualifications, and the alternative arrangements that would be used where exams do not take place. We also conducted an equality impact assessment as part of the consultation. The majority of respondents agreed that all efforts should be made to allow learners to take a Functional Skills assessment, in line with public health measures or remotely. Where the learner is ready, but assessments cannot take place in centres on public health grounds, teacher assessed grades are available.
As set out in the consultation, the size, structure, assessment, and teaching practices of Functional Skills differ from other qualifications. Many are taken on-demand and by a wide range of learners including 16-19 year olds, adults and apprentices, in a wide range of contexts. Learners will take assessments when they are ready. This approach was designed to give the maximum opportunity to progress in learning or employment, as it allows learners to engage with live exams now or results based on teacher assessment where these are necessary and appropriate.
We recognise the challenges suffered by many students who will feel apprehensive about taking assessments and we are incredibly grateful for the tremendous efforts that teachers have made to continue to provide high quality education throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Awarding organisations have long-established arrangements for mitigating the effect of issues such as those relating to mental health. This year, Ofqual has required awarding organisations to review those arrangements to ensure they are fit for purpose. Those students who are able to take assessments but are concerned about the impact of mental health affecting their performance should speak to their centres and awarding organisation to understand the special consideration process.
Additionally, remote invigilation has offered the opportunity to take assessments at home and some providers have reported that this has helped with anxiety. Together with Ofqual, we have supported the roll out of remote invigilation by awarding organisations to give more options to learners and centres for taking assessments. We have seen an increase in volumes of assessments taken via remote invigilation and also live assessments as settings have re-opened.
The department will monitor and review the impact of disruption to learning in vocational and technical qualifications (including Functional Skills qualifications) and General Qualifications (including GCSEs and A levels).
Asked by: Rebecca Long Bailey (Labour - Salford and Eccles)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the decision of April 2021 that functional skills qualifications should resume based on examination wherever possible while in line with covid-19 public health measures rather than using coursework and/or teacher assessed grades, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of that decision on the mental health of students affected, including those wishing to enter further or higher education based on those grades in autumn 2021.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
The department and Ofqual launched a joint consultation in January 2021, seeking the views of teachers, students, parents, schools and colleges. We set out our proposals on exams and assessments for vocational and technical qualifications, including for Functional Skills qualifications, and the alternative arrangements that would be used where exams do not take place. We also conducted an equality impact assessment as part of the consultation. The majority of respondents agreed that all efforts should be made to allow learners to take a Functional Skills assessment, in line with public health measures or remotely. Where the learner is ready, but assessments cannot take place in centres on public health grounds, teacher assessed grades are available.
As set out in the consultation, the size, structure, assessment, and teaching practices of Functional Skills differ from other qualifications. Many are taken on-demand and by a wide range of learners including 16-19 year olds, adults and apprentices, in a wide range of contexts. Learners will take assessments when they are ready. This approach was designed to give the maximum opportunity to progress in learning or employment, as it allows learners to engage with live exams now or results based on teacher assessment where these are necessary and appropriate.
We recognise the challenges suffered by many students who will feel apprehensive about taking assessments and we are incredibly grateful for the tremendous efforts that teachers have made to continue to provide high quality education throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. Awarding organisations have long-established arrangements for mitigating the effect of issues such as those relating to mental health. This year, Ofqual has required awarding organisations to review those arrangements to ensure they are fit for purpose. Those students who are able to take assessments but are concerned about the impact of mental health affecting their performance should speak to their centres and awarding organisation to understand the special consideration process.
Additionally, remote invigilation has offered the opportunity to take assessments at home and some providers have reported that this has helped with anxiety. Together with Ofqual, we have supported the roll out of remote invigilation by awarding organisations to give more options to learners and centres for taking assessments. We have seen an increase in volumes of assessments taken via remote invigilation and also live assessments as settings have re-opened.
The department will monitor and review the impact of disruption to learning in vocational and technical qualifications (including Functional Skills qualifications) and General Qualifications (including GCSEs and A levels).