Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing accredited STEM education for new armed forces recruits under the age of 18.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
Defence makes significant investment in STEM-accredited opportunities for our people, including to the under-18 cohort, because we believe that this will enable us to create high-performing and technologically astute personnel with the skills and agility required for a modernised Armed Forces. We also recognise that by investing wholeheartedly in our recruits and apprentices, who come from all walks of life, the Armed Forces are an engine for social mobility and productivity for the nation.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy offers a well-developed STEM route for 16- to 18-year-olds which, irrespective of their prior qualifications, can lead to a fully funded degree within their career. All engineer pathways start with a Level 2 or 3 apprenticeship aligned to the future role and will include maths and English teaching as required. Alongside the nationally accredited engineering opportunities, which also count toward chartered status with the Institute of Engineering and Technology, they will be able to achieve broadening qualifications in areas such as leadership and management.
Army
The Army invests significantly in skills, education and training, including skills-enhancing learning and development pathways for all, including our under-18 cohort. The Army’s Foundation College at Harrogate offers opportunity for under-18s to study for STEM accredited education through study towards maths Level 2 qualifications and up to Level 3 qualification in Information and Communication Technology. As the UK’s top apprenticeship employer for the third year running, and the largest employer of apprenticeships in England, the Army provides further opportunity for under-18s on entry to their Initial Trade Training – including STEM. The Army has over 15,500 soldier-apprentices on programme at any one time and opportunities in most trade sectors including engineering, manufacturing, logistics and construction.
Royal Air Force (RAF)
The RAF has only a very small number of under-18 recruits who undergo Phase 1 training (conducted at RAF Halton). The Aviator Training Academy (AvTA) at RAF Halton does not deliver any bespoke STEM training to under-18s on the Basic Recruit Training Course as there are no training objectives related directly to STEM. The AvTA does, however, deliver Level 1 and Level 2 maths after basic recruit training to those that need it. Those recruits who are under 18 and progress onto Phase 2 training within the RAF Engineering Profession, will by its very nature receive significant exposure to STEM. The RAF recognises this and awards all recruits that successfully complete their profession training with a Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what further measures they will take to ensure practical, vocational training is available in each region of England.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.
The government’s skills reforms in England provide a ladder of opportunity that enables young people and adults to get good jobs and progress in their careers wherever they live in England. We are building a skills system that is employer focused, high-quality and fit for the future. It is also flexible enough to lead to more people completing high-quality courses that meet employers’ needs.
£3.8 billion has been invested in the skills agenda over this Parliament. The department is using this to expand and strengthen higher and further education, ensuring skills training is aligned to the needs of employers to enable communities to thrive. With this investment, we are putting employers at the heart of our skills system. This is why we are working with industry to shape our training offers, creating more routes into skilled employment in key economic sectors.
Apprenticeships provide people of all backgrounds across the country with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start, or progress in, an exciting career. We are increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25, and employers have developed over 670 high-quality apprenticeships, to support all sectors to develop the skilled workforces they need. To support small and medium enterprises across the country, we continue to pay 95% of their apprenticeship training costs and have recently removed the limit on the number of apprentices they can recruit, making it easier for them to grow their businesses with the skilled apprentices they need.
First introduced in 2020, T Levels are boosting access to high-quality technical education for young people after their GCSEs. Developed with employers so that the content meets the needs of industry, T Levels offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of at least 45 days. T Levels are being introduced in a phased approach, with 16 T Levels currently available and over 160 providers across the country delivering.
The Free Courses for Jobs offer, which was launched in April 2021, allows eligible adults to access over 400 level 3 qualifications, A level equivalent, for free. Eligible adults include adults without a full level 3, adults earning under the National Living Wage annually (£20,319 from April 2023) or unemployed adults, regardless of their prior qualification level.
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. Skills Bootcamps are available in a variety of skill areas including digital, technical, construction, logistics (HGV driving), and skills that support the green economy. We are scaling up Skills Bootcamps delivery to 64,000 starts by the 2024/25 financial year through national procurement and grant funding to 25 Mayoral Combined Authorities and local areas.
High-quality careers information, advice and guidance is key to helping people to make informed decisions about their future, including being able to find out about and consider the different options available to them for employment in all sectors. The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) is supporting schools and colleges to embed best practice in the delivery of careers information, advice and guidance. This allows young people to be aware of the full range of training and careers available to them and to have access to a broad range of employers and workplaces.
We plan to invest £300 million of capital funding to establish 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) across the country providing access to industry standard facilities which focus on the needs of employers and learners in their specific geographical areas. IoTs are employer-led provider organisations working in collaboration with colleges and universities, which deliver higher technical training, with the focus on level 4-5 skills.
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: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of the shortage of level 2 qualified staff such as mechanics and technicians within the logistics industry; and what steps they intend to take to address this shortage.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government is working with the industry to address skills issues. We are encouraging the sector to make employment more attractive through offering training, careers options and to invest in automation technology.
We are already supporting training through apprenticeships, including the level 2 Supply Chain Warehouse Operative apprenticeship and level 3 Transport and Warehouse Operations Supervisor apprenticeship.
There are currently level 3 apprenticeships for light and heavy vehicle technicians. Apprentices without level 2 English and Maths can apply for level 3 apprenticeships but will need to achieve this level prior to completion of their apprenticeship.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to encourage employers to take on apprentices in the transport sector.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Employers in the transport and logistics sector have so far developed 37 high quality apprenticeships in occupations such as air traffic controller and train driver. There were 9,095 starts in this sector in the 2020/21 academic year, with a further 3,125 starts so far in the first quarter of the 2021/22 academic year.
To support apprenticeships in all sectors, the department is increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by the 2024-25 financial year. The department is also encouraging the use of more flexible training models, such as front-loaded and accelerated training and flexi-job apprenticeships to ensure apprentices are ready to work on-site and can benefit from high-quality long-term training that an apprenticeship provides.
To support the increased uptake of high-quality apprenticeships in the haulage sector, last August we launched a new version of the Large Goods Vehicle Driver apprenticeship. The department has increased funding for this apprenticeship from £5,000 to £7,000 to support providers delivering this standard. The department has also supported the industry to develop a new Urban Delivery Driver apprenticeship, which enables apprentices to obtain a Cat C licence alongside a range of driver skills.
Asked by: Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the number of lorry drivers to fill workforce shortages.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are supporting apprenticeships, including to train lorry drivers. A revised standard will be available from 1 August 2021 attracting £7,000 in apprenticeship levy funding. There is also an incentive payment of £3,000 available for new apprentices of any age with an employment start date of 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.
The Department for Work and Pensions is developing a scheme to train jobseekers in HGV driving. The Flexible Support Fund is available to help the unemployed or those in receipt of Universal Credit renew their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
The Department has provided a grant for the non-profit initiative Road to Logistics to train military service leavers, ex-offenders and the long term unemployed to move into jobs in the logistics sector, including lorry driving.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to promote the (a) recruitment and (b) training of heavy goods vehicle drivers.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
We are supporting apprenticeships, including to train lorry drivers. A revised standard will be available from 1 August 2021 attracting £7,000 in apprenticeship levy funding. There is also an incentive payment of £3,000 available for new apprentices of any age with an employment start date of 1 April 2021 to 30 September 2021.
The Department for Work and Pensions is developing a scheme to train jobseekers in HGV driving. The Flexible Support Fund is available to help the unemployed or those in receipt of Universal Credit renew their Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).
The Department has provided a grant for the non-profit initiative Road to Logistics to train military service leavers, ex-offenders and the long term unemployed to move into jobs in the logistics sector, including lorry driving.
Asked by: Robert Halfon (Conservative - Harlow)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that models for apprenticeships, traineeships and other skills programmes (a) take into account changes in workplaces as a result of the covid-19 outbreak, and (b) are fit for future purpose in the context of that matter.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
It is important that our programmes provide the skills individuals and employers need now, and in the future, and that these are adaptable and responsive to emerging skills needs, and ways of working.
Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak we have responded quickly and flexibly, providing support and guidance for employers and apprentices, and we are committed to supporting a smooth transition as restrictions lift and apprentices return to work and training. Guidance for apprentices, employers, and training providers on this can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/covid-19/recent-announcements/apprentices-returning-to-work-and-training/.
We support employers who may wish to retain some of the agile and flexible training practices developed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, where these deliver a good experience for apprentices and give them every opportunity to achieve their apprenticeship. For example, Ofsted identified ways in which further education and skills providers had adapted their provision to include further online and remote learning opportunities. More information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/933434/FES_COVID-19_briefing_October_2020.pdf.
Apprenticeships play an invaluable role in supporting people of all ages to start and progress in their careers and we are working closely with employers and providers to support them to train apprentices in the ways that best meet their needs. We are encouraging greater use of innovative apprenticeship training models, such as the ‘front-loading’ of off-the-job training, with tailored support now on offer to the construction and health and social care sectors. We are also developing accelerated apprenticeships so that apprentices with substantial prior learning, such as T Level graduates, can complete an apprenticeship more quickly.
In July, we are launching a £7 million fund to support more apprentices through the flexi job apprenticeship scheme. This will support employers and apprentices in sectors with more flexible employment models, like the creative industries, to make greater use of apprenticeships. We are also developing portable apprenticeships to further enable apprentices and employers to make use of apprenticeships in those sectors where short-term, project-based employment is the norm.
Since September 2020 we have been working with employers to develop new occupational traineeships which will provide young people with a tailored springboard into their industries. In May we introduced the first ever occupational traineeship in rail engineering with further occupational traineeships opportunities in the adult care, construction, digital, logistics and automotive sectors to follow in the summer. These traineeships will be aligned to apprenticeship standards and will significantly increase the opportunities for young people to progress into apprenticeships or other employment.
T Level students should have the opportunity to experience a real workplace setting during their industry placement, to help them develop their skills and receive the nurturing, mentoring and support needed to succeed. We have put in place additional funding and support for education providers and employers, including a new T Level employer incentive scheme, where employers will be eligible to claim a £1,000 payment for hosting a T Level industry placement, recognising the impact that COVID-19 is having on businesses.
We have also put in place specific measures to ensure that the first cohort of T Level students can complete their industry placement successfully, again in recognition of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. These include a temporary flexibility for the education and childcare industry placement hours requirement and alternative arrangements for summer assessments that will allow students to focus on their industry placement and the occupational specialism in the second year of their course. We are monitoring the situation closely and offering providers one to one support as needed.
Asked by: Kate Green (Labour - Stretford and Urmston)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.
Answered by John Whittingdale
As of 31 March 2020, the Civil Service has achieved a total of 2.1% of its total workforce as apprentices against the legislative target for the public sector of 2.3% by March 2021.
As at the end of January 2021, DCMS employed 1,726 FTE civil servants, 14 of whom are currently apprentices (0.81% of staff). This target is a percentage of the total workforce so the percentage attained will change in line with workforce fluctuations over time, making it challenging to predict when a department will meet it. The data for 2018/19 can be found here. The data for 2019/20 can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-apprenticeship-data-2018-to-2019.
DCMS is committed to increasing the number of apprentices across the Civil Service and continue to work towards the 2.3% target. The impact of the current pandemic has slowed progress against the target due to priority work and logistics. DCMS had four apprentice starts in the first three quarters of 2020-21 and has a further 11 starts planned for Q4. This would take us to 1.68% by the end of the financial year.
With the current strategy and targets coming to an end in April 2021, the Civil Service is focusing on how to continue to support the apprenticeship agenda and drive forward apprenticeship recruitment, building on the Plan for Jobs initiative and considering the current economic situation.