Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of apprenticeships undertaken in artificial intelligence related positions in the last 12 months.
Answered by Robert Halfon
There were 350 starts on the level 7 Artificial Intelligence Data Specialist standard in the 2022/23 academic year. Data for 2023/24 has not yet been finalised as we are part way through the academic year. Other apprenticeships may also contain elements relating to artificial intelligence.
Asked by: Mary Kelly Foy (Labour - City of Durham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to allow for mitigating circumstances for pupils whose education has been disrupted due to the presence of RAAC.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Ofqual is the independent regulator of examinations and qualifications in England, and its statutory objectives are set out in Section 128 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. These include securing that ’regulated qualifications give a reliable indication of knowledge, skills and understanding’, and that ’regulated qualifications indicate a consistent level of attainment (including over time) between comparable regulated qualifications’.
It is important to ensure that all students taking comparable exams and assessments are assessed to the same standard in order to maintain qualification standards and public confidence in qualifications. If different standards are applied for different groups of students, then the qualification will cease to provide a reliable indication of the knowledge, skills and understanding that it is intended to measure.
Asked by: Damian Green (Conservative - Ashford)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help (a) recruit and (b) retain social care workers.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is committed to supporting the recruitment and retention of the adult social care workforce, by ensuring that there are opportunities to develop and progress, and that people feel recognised. In January 2024 we launched the care workforce pathway, which will provide for the first time ever, a national career structure for the workforce. This is alongside our new nationally accredited care qualification, subsidised training places for care staff, and social work and social care nursing apprenticeships. The Government also continues to deliver the Made with Care national recruitment campaign, which promotes social care as a career.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers have completed the Army’s apprenticeship programme in each year since 2019; and in which sectors those apprenticeships were completed.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The information requested is provided in the following table.
Army Apprenticeship Achievements since 2019.
Apprenticeship Type | Route/Subject Sector Area | Aug 2019 - Jul 2020 | Aug 2020 - Jul 2021 | Aug 2021 - Jul 2022 | Aug 2022 - Jul 2023 |
Standard | Agriculture, environmental and animal care | 0 | 0 | 2 | 127 |
Business and administration | 0 | 114 | 162 | 198 | |
Catering and hospitality | 2 | 31 | 68 | 50 | |
Construction and the built environment | 0 | 0 | 3 | 126 | |
Digital | 6 | 0 | 10 | 41 | |
Education and early years | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 | |
Engineering and manufacturing | 6 | 4 | 16 | 15 | |
Health and science | 3 | 43 | 196 | 168 | |
Protective services | 82 | 1,092 | 1,051 | 1,987 | |
Transport and logistics | 3 | 13 | 337 | 707 | |
Framework | 01 - Health, Public Services and Care | 1,368 | 312 | 102 | 45 |
03 - Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care | 199 | 132 | 145 | 26 | |
04 - Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 1,173 | 1,016 | 712 | 770 | |
05 - Construction, Planning and the Built Environment | 147 | 79 | 105 | 61 | |
06 - Information and Communication Technology | 764 | 839 | 574 | 110 | |
07 - Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 1,324 | 1,092 | 386 | 39 | |
15 - Business, Administration and Law | 140 | 38 | 2 | 0 | |
Total | 5,217 | 4,805 | 3,894 | 4,472 |
Notes/caveats:
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many sailors have completed the Navy’s apprenticeship programme in each year since 2019; and in which sectors those apprenticeships were completed.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The following table provides the requested information:
Sector | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 * |
Business, Administration and Law | 75 | 52 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 846 | 578 | 362 | 801 | 274 |
Health, Public Services and Care | 414 | 303 | 245 | 387 | 106 |
Information and Communication Technology | 364 | 392 | 83 | 18 | 21 |
Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 110 | 39 | 54 | 113 | 45 |
Grand Total | 1,803 | 1,374 | 751 | 1,319 | 446 |
*Information covers period to date.
Information provided by Training Management Group, Directorate of Personnel and Training.
Asked by: Maria Eagle (Labour - Garston and Halewood)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people have completed the RAF’s apprenticeship programme in each year since 2019; and in which sectors those apprenticeships were completed.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The below table details the number of people who have completed the Royal Air Force Apprenticeship programme and the sectors in which those apprenticeships have been completed.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Health, Public Services and Care | 141 | 278 | 43 | 220 | 175 | 14 |
Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies | 738 | 567 | 494 | 475 | 487 | 84 |
Information and Communication Technology | 135 | 219 | 221 | 218 | 247 | 36 |
Retail and Commercial Enterprise | 74 | 118 | 97 | 126 | 111 | 6 |
Leisure, Travel and Tourism | 0 | 3 | 27 | 21 | 13 | 0 |
Arts, Media, and Publishing | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
Data for 2024 is from 1 January 2024 to 8 March 2024
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in which prisons are prisoners eligible to undertake apprenticeships in England and Wales.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Apprenticeships are one of our initiatives to drive up skills, qualifications and employment across the estate, filling key gaps in the economy, and ultimately reducing reoffending.
In September 2022, the Government changed legislation to allow serving prisoners to undertake apprenticeships. Since then, my officials have been working closely with their counterparts in the Department for Education to engage employers in key skills sectors such as hospitality and construction to sponsor and support apprentice placements.
In England, all appropriately risk-assessed prisoners in the open estate and certain women’s prisons can undertake apprenticeships in the community, as long as they are eligible for ROTL and within a year of release. Apprenticeships are now being tested in the closed Category C estate, offering the chance for high quality training leading to sustainable employment outcomes.
As skills and education are devolved in Wales, the Welsh Government is responsible for provision of education and training in Welsh prisons.
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 she is taking to help close skills gaps in the (a) public and (b) private sector.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The government is committed to creating a world-leading skills system which is employer-focused, high-quality and fit for the future. The department’s reforms are strengthening higher and further education to help more people get good jobs and upskill and retrain throughout their lives, as well as to improve national productivity and economic growth. These reforms are backed with an additional investment of £3.8 billion over the course of this Parliament to strengthen higher and further education. The department’s reforms will help equip people with the education, training and skills that employers demand both in the public and private sector.
The department has established the Unit for Future Skills (UFS), which provides decision makers in skills system with information they need to invest in the right skills to meet national and local employer needs and support economic growth. The work of the UFS aims to improve data and evidence to support a better understanding of current skill mismatches and future demand throughout the country.
Apprenticeships are crucial in driving growth and social mobility as they boost skills across the economy and improve people's earnings and career opportunities nationwide. To support growth, the department is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25, which will encourage more employers across the country to recruit new apprentices.
The department has introduced employer-designed T levels which are equipping thousands of young people with the skills, knowledge, and experience to access employment or further study in some of the most in-demand skills areas. 18 T levels are now available, being delivered through over 250 providers across all regions of the country.
The department has invested £300 million to establish 21 Institutes of Technology (IoT) across England to significantly increase the number of learners with higher level technical skills and offering an alternative route to high paid jobs. IoTs bring education and industry together to deliver world class technical education and training in key STEM subjects aligned to the skills needs of the local economy they serve.
The department is delivering reforms to increase the profile, prestige, and uptake of higher technical education. Central to these reforms is the introduction of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), which are Level 4/5 qualifications approved against employer-developed standard and quality marked by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education. This means students and employers can have the confidence that HTQs provide skills employers need. To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as HTQs across seven occupational routes and over 140 providers are approved to deliver HTQs.
The department has introduced the Free Courses for Jobs scheme which enables eligible adults to gain a high value qualification for free. In addition, the department has also introduced Skills Bootcamps, which are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with an employer.
The department has established Local Skills Improvement Plans across the country, which are employer-led, locally owned plans. They have galvanised and brought together businesses, providers, local leaders and stakeholders to help better align provision of post-16 technical education and training with local labour market needs.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) school leavers and (b) adults with SEND are given prioritised access to apprenticeships.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Apprenticeships provide a fantastic opportunity for school leavers and adults with special educational needs and disabilities to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to progress in their chosen careers. So far, in the 2023/24 academic year, 15.9% of all starts were by learners declaring a learning difficulty and/or disability (LDD), an increase from 14.7% for the same period last year. The department is also increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25, supporting more employers across the country to recruit new apprentices.
The department is investing £3.2 million annually in the ‘Apprenticeship Support & Knowledge’ programme, which ensures students in schools and colleges are aware of the benefits of apprenticeships. Young people can also now access apprenticeships vacancies on UCAS, and later this year they will also be able to use the service to apply for apprenticeships.
The department provides £1,000 to both employers and training providers when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19 to 24 year old apprentices who have an Education, Health and Care plan or have been in care. The department also provides additional funding to support those apprentices who require reasonable adjustments to undertake learning.
As part of the work to remove barriers for people starting an apprenticeship, the department has launched a pilot to consider how the department determines apprentice eligibility for flexibilities to English and maths requirements. The department is also currently delivering another pilot to test whether offering expert support, advice and training to the people providing mentoring to apprentices with a LDD results in a positive impact on the cohort, both in terms of satisfaction and achievement for these apprentices.
The department will continue to work closely with the Apprenticeship Diversity Network and the Disabled Apprentice Network to better understand and remove barriers so everyone can access the benefits of an apprenticeship.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to work with universities to help train (a) doctors, (b) nurses and (c) teachers.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is working closely with Higher Education Providers (HEP’s) to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to access a world class education. This remains a top priority and is fundamental to the government’s ambition to level-up skills, growth, and economic opportunity across the country.
Record numbers of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare staff will be trained in England as part of the first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (LTWP), which was published in June 2023. By significantly expanding domestic education, training and recruitment, we will have more healthcare professionals working in the NHS. The LTWP will:
The government is backing the LTWP with over £2.4 billion over the next five years to fund additional education and training places. This is on top of increases to education and training investment, reaching a record £6.1 billion over the next two years. The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, the Office for Students, as well as the General Medical Council to actualise the delivery of the plan.
The department will continue to work with the sector so everyone who wants to pursue a rewarding healthcare career has the support and opportunities to do so.
There are record numbers of teachers in England’s schools, with more than 468,000 working in state-funded schools across the country, which is 27,000 (6%) more than in 2010. The department works closely with schools and universities to recruit the best teachers, in the subjects and areas they are needed most. The department has already put in place a range of measures for trainees in the 2023/24 academic, including bursaries worth up to £27,000 and scholarships worth up to £29,000, to encourage talented trainees to apply to train in key subjects such as chemistry, computing, mathematics, and physics.
The department is also offering a levelling up premium worth up to £3,000 after tax for mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged schools. For 2024/25 and 2025/26, the department is doubling the rates of the levelling up premium to up to £6,000 after tax. This will support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in these subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most.
The department is also working with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and an employer-led trailblazer group to develop the Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (TDA). The TDA will be a new route into the teaching profession, for both primary and secondary teachers, through which successful candidates will ‘earn while they learn’ and attain an undergraduate degree and qualified teacher status while working in a school. Subject to IfATE approvals, the TDA standard will be published in spring 2024, with the candidate recruitment commencing from autumn 2024 and training commencing in autumn 2025.