Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage young people to (a) enter the hospitality and tourism industry and (b) undertake a degree apprenticeship in tourism.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is introducing T Levels in a phased approach, with a strong emphasis on quality, both of the qualification itself and its delivery. We can only assess the impact on an industry of the introduction of T Level once we’re able to assess the positive impact the T Level makes.
The department communicated the decision to defer the T Level in Catering in March 2023, and providers have subsequently supported students interested in this T Level to find alternate learning programmes to suit their needs, with existing qualifications still funded and available until after the Catering T Level is rolled out.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education regularly reviews its occupational standards across all sectors. It is currently in the process of engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in catering and hospitality, to ensure that the occupational standards in this sector which underpin apprenticeships and T Level technical qualifications are up to date, and fully meet the needs of employers.
There is no T Level specifically in travel and tourism, but T Levels in business and administration are well placed to develop the skills that are relevant to many occupations in this area. Students will then be able to tailor their programme by undertaking their industry placement with a relevant employer in the sector.
A range of other provision is available to those young people who want to gain skills in the Hospitality and Travel and Tourism Sectors.
There are 137 Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in the Hospitality and catering sector for 16-19 year olds that are approved for funding in 2023/2024, and 73 Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in the Travel and tourism sector for 16-19 year olds approved for funding in 2023/2024. Existing travel and tourism qualifications are still in receipt of funding until 2026.
The department is encouraging awarding organisations to develop travel and tourism-focused technical qualifications at Level 3, working with employers, colleges, and schools to design new qualifications that support young people to enter employment or further technical study where that is what they want to do.
Apprenticeships provide people of all ages with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start, or progress in, an exciting career in the hospitality and tourism sector. Employers in this sector can access a range of high-quality apprenticeship standards to meet their skills needs, including the Level 3 Travel Consultant, Level 4 Hospitality Manager and Level 4 Senior Culinary Chef. We want to see more young people from all backgrounds undertaking degree apprenticeships, that provide people with high-quality training and are important in supporting productivity, social mobility and widening participation in higher education and employment. Over the next two years the department is making up to £40 million available to higher education providers through the Strategic Priorities Grant, to grow their degree apprenticeship provision and form new employer partnerships.
Young people can also benefit from the Free Courses for Jobs offer of a free Level 3 qualification in Hospitality and Catering delivered by a range of providers in England. This offer was extended to include Hospitality and Catering due to a significant skills shortage in the sector following the lifting of lockdown, and robust labour market analysis showing the opportunities in this field.
All young people and learners have access to impartial, lifelong careers advice and guidance which empowers them to progress into work or the next stage of their career. This will include advice on a range of options for training in areas such as Hospitality and Travel and Tourism.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of how many students would have taken the T level in Catering and Hospitality this year.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is introducing T Levels in a phased approach, with a strong emphasis on quality, both of the qualification itself and its delivery. We can only assess the impact on an industry of the introduction of T Level once we’re able to assess the positive impact the T Level makes.
The department communicated the decision to defer the T Level in Catering in March 2023, and providers have subsequently supported students interested in this T Level to find alternate learning programmes to suit their needs, with existing qualifications still funded and available until after the Catering T Level is rolled out.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education regularly reviews its occupational standards across all sectors. It is currently in the process of engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in catering and hospitality, to ensure that the occupational standards in this sector which underpin apprenticeships and T Level technical qualifications are up to date, and fully meet the needs of employers.
There is no T Level specifically in travel and tourism, but T Levels in business and administration are well placed to develop the skills that are relevant to many occupations in this area. Students will then be able to tailor their programme by undertaking their industry placement with a relevant employer in the sector.
A range of other provision is available to those young people who want to gain skills in the Hospitality and Travel and Tourism Sectors.
There are 137 Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in the Hospitality and catering sector for 16-19 year olds that are approved for funding in 2023/2024, and 73 Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in the Travel and tourism sector for 16-19 year olds approved for funding in 2023/2024. Existing travel and tourism qualifications are still in receipt of funding until 2026.
The department is encouraging awarding organisations to develop travel and tourism-focused technical qualifications at Level 3, working with employers, colleges, and schools to design new qualifications that support young people to enter employment or further technical study where that is what they want to do.
Apprenticeships provide people of all ages with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start, or progress in, an exciting career in the hospitality and tourism sector. Employers in this sector can access a range of high-quality apprenticeship standards to meet their skills needs, including the Level 3 Travel Consultant, Level 4 Hospitality Manager and Level 4 Senior Culinary Chef. We want to see more young people from all backgrounds undertaking degree apprenticeships, that provide people with high-quality training and are important in supporting productivity, social mobility and widening participation in higher education and employment. Over the next two years the department is making up to £40 million available to higher education providers through the Strategic Priorities Grant, to grow their degree apprenticeship provision and form new employer partnerships.
Young people can also benefit from the Free Courses for Jobs offer of a free Level 3 qualification in Hospitality and Catering delivered by a range of providers in England. This offer was extended to include Hospitality and Catering due to a significant skills shortage in the sector following the lifting of lockdown, and robust labour market analysis showing the opportunities in this field.
All young people and learners have access to impartial, lifelong careers advice and guidance which empowers them to progress into work or the next stage of their career. This will include advice on a range of options for training in areas such as Hospitality and Travel and Tourism.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made on the impact on the hospitality industry of postponing the T level in Catering and Hospitality.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is introducing T Levels in a phased approach, with a strong emphasis on quality, both of the qualification itself and its delivery. We can only assess the impact on an industry of the introduction of T Level once we’re able to assess the positive impact the T Level makes.
The department communicated the decision to defer the T Level in Catering in March 2023, and providers have subsequently supported students interested in this T Level to find alternate learning programmes to suit their needs, with existing qualifications still funded and available until after the Catering T Level is rolled out.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education regularly reviews its occupational standards across all sectors. It is currently in the process of engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in catering and hospitality, to ensure that the occupational standards in this sector which underpin apprenticeships and T Level technical qualifications are up to date, and fully meet the needs of employers.
There is no T Level specifically in travel and tourism, but T Levels in business and administration are well placed to develop the skills that are relevant to many occupations in this area. Students will then be able to tailor their programme by undertaking their industry placement with a relevant employer in the sector.
A range of other provision is available to those young people who want to gain skills in the Hospitality and Travel and Tourism Sectors.
There are 137 Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in the Hospitality and catering sector for 16-19 year olds that are approved for funding in 2023/2024, and 73 Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications in the Travel and tourism sector for 16-19 year olds approved for funding in 2023/2024. Existing travel and tourism qualifications are still in receipt of funding until 2026.
The department is encouraging awarding organisations to develop travel and tourism-focused technical qualifications at Level 3, working with employers, colleges, and schools to design new qualifications that support young people to enter employment or further technical study where that is what they want to do.
Apprenticeships provide people of all ages with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start, or progress in, an exciting career in the hospitality and tourism sector. Employers in this sector can access a range of high-quality apprenticeship standards to meet their skills needs, including the Level 3 Travel Consultant, Level 4 Hospitality Manager and Level 4 Senior Culinary Chef. We want to see more young people from all backgrounds undertaking degree apprenticeships, that provide people with high-quality training and are important in supporting productivity, social mobility and widening participation in higher education and employment. Over the next two years the department is making up to £40 million available to higher education providers through the Strategic Priorities Grant, to grow their degree apprenticeship provision and form new employer partnerships.
Young people can also benefit from the Free Courses for Jobs offer of a free Level 3 qualification in Hospitality and Catering delivered by a range of providers in England. This offer was extended to include Hospitality and Catering due to a significant skills shortage in the sector following the lifting of lockdown, and robust labour market analysis showing the opportunities in this field.
All young people and learners have access to impartial, lifelong careers advice and guidance which empowers them to progress into work or the next stage of their career. This will include advice on a range of options for training in areas such as Hospitality and Travel and Tourism.
Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase the uptake of higher technical qualifications.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is delivering reforms to increase the profile, prestige and uptake of higher technical education. Central to this is the introduction of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). Increasing uptake in HTQs is key to help people climb the ladder of opportunity and progress to more highly skilled jobs and careers.
HTQs became available for teaching from September 2022, starting with Digital HTQs. There are over 70 providers able to deliver HTQs from September 2022, with the majority being further education colleges. 106 qualifications have now been approved as HTQs across Digital, Construction and Health and Science routes, with HTQs in the latter two routes available for teaching from September this year. HTQs across all occupational routes are due to be rolled out by academic year 2025/26 where relevant occupational standards are available.
To support more people studying HTQs as they roll out, we are promoting HTQs as part of national government skills communications and engagement campaigns for young people, adults and employers, as well as working with partners such as UCAS and National Careers Service to improve the information and support available.
We have also announced investments of around £70 million to date to support the growth of high quality higher technical education (HTE). This includes supporting providers to grow capacity through the HTE Growth Fund and Skills Injection Fund. We are also supporting the Open University to deliver validation services and support for up to 10 further education providers to give them the confidence and capability to deliver the courses local people want and develop the skills base local employers need.
The department has extended student finance access for HTQs. From September 2023 learners studying HTQs part-time will be able to access maintenance loans, as they can with degrees. This will help learners fit study around work and other commitments.
HTQs will be among the first courses eligible for modular funding when the Lifelong Loan Entitlement launches in academic year 2025/26, as announced on 7 March 2023, providing more flexible options for learning.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reform student finance.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The government announced that it will introduce a Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) from 2025 to provide a streamlined funding system for provision across levels 4 to 6. The LLE will enable people to train, retrain, and upskill to meet the needs of the economy and advance their careers.
The LLE will provide individuals with a loan entitlement to the equivalent of four years of post-18 education to use over their working lives (for example £37,000 in today’s fees). It will be available for both full years of study at higher technical and degree levels, and, for the first time, for modules of high-value courses, regardless of whether they are provided in colleges or universities.
Loans for living costs and targeted grants will be available in respect of all designated courses under the LLE, including part-time courses, subject to need.
Under this flexible skills system, people will be able to space out their studies and learn at a pace that is right for them, including choosing to build up their qualifications over time within both further education and higher education (HE) providers. They will have a choice in how and when they study to acquire new life-changing skills.
The government has legislated through the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 on the LLE. On 1 February 2023, building on these measures, it introduced the HE (Lifelong Learning) Fee Limits Bill as a further step towards delivery of the LLE from 2025.
As part of the pathway towards the LLE, as of the start of the 2022/23 academic year, the government began trialling loan-funded access to tuition fees for designated short courses at levels 4 to 6 at 22 providers across England through the HE Short Course trial, which tests a more flexible approach to funding learning at levels 4 to 6.
On 7 March 2023, the government published its response to the LLE consultation, providing a detailed conclusion to the consultation and a clear description of the key changes being brought in as part of the LLE.
Asked by: Sam Tarry (Labour - Ilford South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 25 July 2022 to Question 37600 on Students: Finance, what progress her Department has made on delivering an Alternative Student Finance product compatible with Islamic finance principles.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The government is committed to delivering an Alternative Student Finance (ASF) product compatible with Islamic finance principles as soon as possible. To support the delivery of an ASF product to date, the government has taken new powers in the Higher Education and Research Act 2017 to enable the Secretary of State to provide alternative payments, in addition to grants and loans. We have further carried out work with specialist advisers, the Islamic Finance Council UK, on the design of an ASF model.
As set out in the answer of 25 July 2022 to Question 37600, the government is introducing the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE), which will significantly change the ways students can access learning and financial support.
Work is underway to assess how we can ultimately deliver an ASF product alongside the LLE. We are procuring advice from experts in Islamic finance and will be working with the Student Loans Company to better understand timescales for delivery of an ASF product.
In our response to the LLE consultation, published on 7 March 2023, we set out our aim that students will be able to access an ASF as part of the LLE as soon as possible after 2025.
Asked by: Paul Blomfield (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the letter of 26 January 2023 sent by the Office for Students to accountable officers at registered higher education providers, which states that £10 million which had been set aside for preparation for the Lifelong Loan Entitlement is no longer needed for the purpose originally identified, what progress has been made on implementing the Lifelong Loan Entitlement.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) will be introduced from 2025. The government has already introduced key legislation as part of the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022.Building on these measures, on 1 February 2023 the government introduced the Lifelong Learning (Higher Education Fee Limits) Bill as a further step towards delivery of the LLE from 2025.
As part of the pathway towards the LLE, we will stimulate the provision of high-quality higher technical education (Levels 4 and 5) and have introduced pilots to inform future flexible and modular provision. As of the start of the 2022/23 academic year, we are trialling loan-funded access to tuition fees for over 100 short courses at Levels 4 to 6 at 22 providers across England. This will help us build and test towards the LLE, and will allow students to study and build up the skills they need more flexibly.
On 6 May 2022, the department concluded its consultation on the LLE, as part of the planned pathway to delivery from 2025. This consultation and other ongoing sector engagement is a critical part of delivering a transformation of student finance. We are carefully considering the contributions and will publish our response in due course.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the report by the East of England APPG and EELGA entitled Levelling Up in the East of England - the Region’s Progress towards the Government’s Twelve Levelling Up Missions, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the recommendations in that report in respect of overall quality of training, access to training and a better alignment of training with employer need.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is investing £3.8 billion more in further education and skills over the Parliament to ensure people can get onto the ladder of opportunity and access high-quality training and education that leads to good jobs, addresses skills gaps, boosts productivity and supports levelling up.
Careers education, information, advice and guidance is a crucial first step to supporting individuals to access excellent education and skills training. Driven by the internationally recognised Gatsby Benchmarks, secondary schools and colleges are embedding career learning in the curriculum and providing young people with tailored advice and guidance, including more opportunities to learn about skills and apprenticeships.
Through our National Careers Service digital campaigns, such as Get the Jump, we are bringing information about education and training courses into one place. Users can also search where to take courses.
Additionally, the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme continues to raise awareness of apprenticeships, traineeships, and T Levels in schools and colleges.
Employers have been central to the design and delivery of our skills policies such as through apprenticeships, T levels, and Institutes of Technology. The department set out in the Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth White Paper that we want to build on these successes, giving employers a key role in our skills system. By 2030, almost all technical courses will be on employer-led standards, ensuring that the education and training people receive are directly linked to the skills needed for jobs.
Employer-led Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) are forging stronger, more dynamic and direct working arrangements between employers, skills providers, and local leaders. By embedding greater employer engagement in local skills systems, LSIPs will bring the demand and supply sides closer together. This will enable a coherent ‘whole system’ approach to skills planning and help people develop the skills they need to get good jobs and increase their prospects.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has conducted a review of the potential changes required to the admissions system for higher education courses in advance of the delivery of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement in the academic year 2024-25.
Answered by Robert Halfon
To support the design and delivery of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) from 2025, the department will continue to engage with sector bodies across both further education and higher education, as well as the Student Loans Company and regulatory bodies.
On admissions, the department is continuing to work with UCAS and sector bodies to improve transparency, reduce the use of unconditional offers, and reform the personal statement to improve fairness for applicants of all backgrounds.
The LLE consultation and other ongoing engagements are an important part of delivering a transformation of student finance. The department is carefully considering the contributions and will publish a response in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to launch Alternative Student Finance for Muslim students.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department understands the concerns held by some Muslim students and their families about student finance. We want all learners with the potential to benefit from higher education to be able to do so. The department remains committed to delivering an alternative student finance (ASF) product for Muslim students.
Going forward, the department is introducing a Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) that will significantly change the ways students can access learning and financial support.
The department's consultation on the detail and scope of the LLE closed in May 2022. In this consultation, the department sought views on what barriers learners with protected characteristics might face in accessing or drawing on their LLE, noting that answers to this question could include consideration of an ASF product for students whose faith has resulted in concerns about traditional loans. We are currently considering if and how ASF can be delivered as part of the LLE.
We will provide a further update on ASF as part of the government response to the LLE consultation.