Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential (a) financial and (b) administrative effect of the lifelong loan entitlement on higher education providers.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) will be introduced from 2025, providing individuals with a loan entitlement to the equivalent of four years of post-18 education to use over their lifetime. It will be available for both modules and full years of study at higher technical and degree levels (levels 4 to 6), regardless of whether they are provided in colleges or universities. The government intends that the LLE will create new opportunities for providers to offer more flexible learning pathways for students and develop new business models.
The impact assessment published alongside the Skills and Post-18 Education Bill included a significant section on the LLE. This was produced as part of an ongoing process, assessing and carefully considering the possible effects of the LLE and how best to deliver it.
We are also actively speaking with higher education and further education providers, including considering the operational implications on their administrative and financial structures. We will continue to engage to understand provider needs as we build towards introduction from 2025.
There is also potential for income gain through new learners entering the system. Although the tuition fee income gains from new learners may be more modest given the shorter duration of courses, large enough numbers could result in a net benefit to higher education and further education providers on average.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to the lifelong loan scheme for people who have a degree qualification.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
The government is introducing the Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) from 2025 to support flexible learning, upskilling and retraining. The government is considering conditions of access and eligibility for study funded by the LLE and will be consulting on the detail and scope in due course. We are also working closely with representatives from across the education sector, as well as key delivery bodies to scope and design the necessary system changes.
Asked by: Earl of Clancarty (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to raise the profile, and (2) to improve the perceived status of, early years teaching jobs.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department understands that the earliest years are the most crucial stage of child development. Early education supports children’s social and emotional development and lays the foundation for lifelong learning.
The department is grateful for the contribution that all early years’ providers and childcare staff make in their work every day, both to the early education of children and to support the economy.
We are committed to supporting the sector to develop a workforce with the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience to deliver high quality early education and childcare, and to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. That is why the department has recently announced an additional £153 million in programmes to support workforce development, including increasing the number of places available for early years initial teacher training. We are also developing new early years training routes, including a new National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership and support for new apprenticeship routes for careers in the early years.
Asked by: Jonathan Lord (Conservative - Woking)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress his Department has made on providing fiscal support to encourage people to (a) upskill and (b) change career paths.
Answered by Michelle Donelan - Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
At the recent Spending Review we announced that we are investing £3.8 billion more in further education and skills to ensure people can access high-quality training and education that leads to good jobs, addresses skills gaps, boosts productivity and supports levelling up.
We are continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) (£1.34 billion in academic year 2021/22). The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults in gaining the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.
The National Skills Fund will help adults learn valuable skills and prepare for the economy of the future and we are investing £1.6 billion through the fund in the next three years, on top of the £375 million already committed in financial year 2021/22. This will include extending the eligibility for Free Courses for Jobs to more adults and further expanding Skills Bootcamps. More details will be announced in due course.
Since 1 April this year, the National Skills Fund (NSF) is supporting any adult who does not have A level equivalent or higher qualifications, to access over 400 fully funded level 3 courses, with Free Courses for Jobs. This offer is a long-term commitment, backed by £95 million from the NSF in year one.
Complementing this support for adults, Skills Bootcamps offer 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 a local employer.
As part of the Lifetime Skills Guarantee, from 2025 we will introduce a Lifelong Loan Entitlement (LLE) equivalent to four years of post-18 education. It will be available for both modules and full years of study at higher technical and degree levels (levels 4 to 6), regardless of whether they are provided in colleges or universities. The LLE will support study throughout a learners’ life, with the opportunity to train, retrain and upskill as needed in response to changing skills needs and employment patterns. Under this flexible skills system, people can space out their studies and learn at a pace that is right for them. We will consult on the scope and policy of the LLE in due course, as part of our planned pathway to delivery from 2025.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what vocational training options are available for adult British National (Overseas) passport holders on arrival to the UK; and whether funding options for that education are immediately available to those people.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Full details on education and training for those arriving from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas Visa), are set out in the government's welcome pack for arrivals from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas) visa. The welcome pack is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1013244/HK_BN__O__Welcome_Pack_August_2021.pdf.
Hong Kong British Nationals and their dependents have access to further education (FE) and training for those aged 16-19, whether that's in school sixth forms for 16-18 year-olds or other FE settings for 16-19 year-olds. In line with existing eligibility rules, and after three years ordinary residency in the UK, they will have access to further education and training for adults (19 years and above).
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement will be introduced from 2025 and the department will consult on its scope and policy in due course, as part of our planned pathway to delivery.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Hong Kong British National (Overseas) passport holders have access to funding for training for adults through the adult education budget on arrival to the UK.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Full details on education and training for those arriving from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas Visa), are set out in the government's welcome pack for arrivals from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas) visa. The welcome pack is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1013244/HK_BN__O__Welcome_Pack_August_2021.pdf.
Hong Kong British Nationals and their dependents have access to further education (FE) and training for those aged 16-19, whether that's in school sixth forms for 16-18 year-olds or other FE settings for 16-19 year-olds. In line with existing eligibility rules, and after three years ordinary residency in the UK, they will have access to further education and training for adults (19 years and above).
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement will be introduced from 2025 and the department will consult on its scope and policy in due course, as part of our planned pathway to delivery.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Hong Kong British National (Overseas) passport holders will have access to the Lifelong Loan Entitlement when it launches from 2025.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Full details on education and training for those arriving from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas Visa), are set out in the government's welcome pack for arrivals from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas) visa. The welcome pack is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1013244/HK_BN__O__Welcome_Pack_August_2021.pdf.
Hong Kong British Nationals and their dependents have access to further education (FE) and training for those aged 16-19, whether that's in school sixth forms for 16-18 year-olds or other FE settings for 16-19 year-olds. In line with existing eligibility rules, and after three years ordinary residency in the UK, they will have access to further education and training for adults (19 years and above).
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement will be introduced from 2025 and the department will consult on its scope and policy in due course, as part of our planned pathway to delivery.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Hong Kong British National (Overseas) passport holders arriving in the UK have immediate access to Government-funded adult vocational training.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Full details on education and training for those arriving from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas Visa), are set out in the government's welcome pack for arrivals from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas) visa. The welcome pack is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1013244/HK_BN__O__Welcome_Pack_August_2021.pdf.
Hong Kong British Nationals and their dependents have access to further education (FE) and training for those aged 16-19, whether that's in school sixth forms for 16-18 year-olds or other FE settings for 16-19 year-olds. In line with existing eligibility rules, and after three years ordinary residency in the UK, they will have access to further education and training for adults (19 years and above).
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement will be introduced from 2025 and the department will consult on its scope and policy in due course, as part of our planned pathway to delivery.
Asked by: Alistair Carmichael (Liberal Democrat - Orkney and Shetland)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Hong Kongers aged 24 and over on the British National (Overseas) Visa have immediate access to the Government’s National Skills Fund, including access to the Skills Bootcamps and free level 3 qualifications for adults.
Answered by Alex Burghart - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
Full details on education and training for those arriving from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas Visa), are set out in the government's welcome pack for arrivals from Hong Kong on the British Nationals (Overseas) visa. The welcome pack is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1013244/HK_BN__O__Welcome_Pack_August_2021.pdf.
Hong Kong British Nationals and their dependents have access to further education (FE) and training for those aged 16-19, whether that's in school sixth forms for 16-18 year-olds or other FE settings for 16-19 year-olds. In line with existing eligibility rules, and after three years ordinary residency in the UK, they will have access to further education and training for adults (19 years and above).
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement will be introduced from 2025 and the department will consult on its scope and policy in due course, as part of our planned pathway to delivery.
Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
What progress his Department has made on supporting education and reskilling opportunities for former service personnel.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) promotes lifelong learning.
Eligible Service personnel and veterans can access three schemes which can help individuals pursue their personal and professional development through education, both during their Service and, for two of the schemes, up to ten years after discharge.
In 2019, the MOD introduced Holistic Transition support, building on the highly successful Career Transition Partnership, which has provided employment support and job finding services for the last 20 years.