Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help fill job vacancies in Romford constituency.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In the constituency and across the London Borough of Havering, the local Romford Jobcentre team are supporting residents into work and helping those in work to progress to higher paid jobs. We are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, delivering Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs), recruitment days, Job Fairs, and work trials.
The weekly job club in Romford Jobcentre provides support on CV preparation, job applications and interview techniques, along with information sessions on a range of subjects to help customers into work, including information about different employment sectors, advice on childcare, support for those with additional health needs and motivational sessions.
The Jobcentre provides a bespoke service to employers, to match and screen candidates, and offers regular Job Fairs focussed on specific sectors and customer groups, with recent events to coincide with older workers week and national apprenticeship week. The team are also working with the London Borough of Havering to develop local support.
In partnership with the College of North East London we have recently offered SWAPs for local customers to gain skills and enhance their applications for the Logistics and Warehouse sectors. Care Provider Voices deliver a range of adult social care opportunities, with Springboard offering opportunities in the hospitality sector.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps is he is taking to support job seekers in rural areas.
Answered by Jo Churchill - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
In Lincolnshire, and across the country, our Jobcentre teams are supporting people back into work and helping those in work to progress. We have a comprehensive range of support in place and are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, delivering sector-based work academy programmes (SWAPs), recruitment days, job fairs, and work trials. Jobcentres have the flexibility to work alongside national and local organisations to help meet the needs of their communities, including in rural areas.
In Lincolnshire, the department worked with the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership on provision to assist with a shortage of drivers in the logistics sectors, with training delivered through Boston, Stamford, and Lincoln colleges with good levels of take up.
Adequate transport links can be a major factor that affects employment, and claimants are made aware of the bus fare cap operating throughout Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, operated by local bus companies.
DWP works closely with Boston College that provides outreach services in Spalding, as well as bus transport to facilitate access to their services from rural areas. Boston College also delivers their digital course within Spalding Jobcentre, for those unable to travel into Boston. Where access is still difficult, we have engaged with other providers to deliver virtual programmes, for example NetUK and Steadfast. We have also worked with Lincolnshire County Council for delivery of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision to be delivered in the Spalding Jobcentre.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what analysis they have conducted, if any, of shortage occupations in the logistics sector, ahead of the Christmas peak period.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Department recently established a People and Skills Delivery Group to deliver on priority commitments within our published ‘Future of Freight: A Long-Term Plan’.
To support the work of this group, the Department has conducted an assessment of the freight and logistics sector workforce, to get a baseline on the health of the sector that the group will monitor over time. This forum will enable Government and industry to collectively identify any shortage occupations for the sector and collaborate on activity to ensure we have sufficient labour and skills pipeline year-round, examining factors such as training provision, awareness and perception, and terms and conditions.
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 encourage more people to take up higher apprenticeships.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Higher and degree level apprenticeships provide people with high quality training and are important in supporting productivity, social mobility and widening participation in higher education and employment.
In the 2021/22 academic year, there were over 106,000 apprenticeship starts at levels 4-7. That is 7.6% higher than the previous year. Starts at levels 6 and 7 increased 10.3% in 2021/22 to over 43,000 when compared to the previous year.
Employers have developed over 310 high quality apprenticeship standards at levels 4,5,6 and 7 in industries such as engineering and manufacturing, health and science, digital and transport and logistics to help meet their industry skills needs.
The department wants to accelerate the growth of higher and degree apprenticeships across all regions and encourage higher education providers to expand their existing offers or develop new ones. The department is therefore providing an additional £40 million in funding over the next two years, on top of the £8 million investment in the 2022/23 financial year.
The department continues to promote higher and degree level apprenticeships to employers in all sectors and regions, and it is for individual employers to choose which apprenticeships they offer, and at what level, according to their needs.
The department publishes the higher and degree apprenticeship vacancy listing twice a year, with the next released planned for November, which will highlight over 350 vacancies across the country that are available for young people to apply for in 2023 and 2024. The vacancy listing is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-and-degree-apprenticeships.
The department is working hard to ensure that young people across the country get the right information to help them decide on the best route for their future. From autumn 2023, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service will expand their service so that young people can see more personalised options, including degree apprenticeships. From 2024, students will then be able to apply for apprenticeships alongside degrees, meaning young people can find the right option for them, all in one place
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 incentivise universities to generate more higher apprenticeships.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Higher and degree level apprenticeships provide people with high quality training and are important in supporting productivity, social mobility and widening participation in higher education and employment.
In the 2021/22 academic year, there were over 106,000 apprenticeship starts at levels 4-7. That is 7.6% higher than the previous year. Starts at levels 6 and 7 increased 10.3% in 2021/22 to over 43,000 when compared to the previous year.
Employers have developed over 310 high quality apprenticeship standards at levels 4,5,6 and 7 in industries such as engineering and manufacturing, health and science, digital and transport and logistics to help meet their industry skills needs.
The department wants to accelerate the growth of higher and degree apprenticeships across all regions and encourage higher education providers to expand their existing offers or develop new ones. The department is therefore providing an additional £40 million in funding over the next two years, on top of the £8 million investment in the 2022/23 financial year.
The department continues to promote higher and degree level apprenticeships to employers in all sectors and regions, and it is for individual employers to choose which apprenticeships they offer, and at what level, according to their needs.
The department publishes the higher and degree apprenticeship vacancy listing twice a year, with the next released planned for November, which will highlight over 350 vacancies across the country that are available for young people to apply for in 2023 and 2024. The vacancy listing is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-and-degree-apprenticeships.
The department is working hard to ensure that young people across the country get the right information to help them decide on the best route for their future. From autumn 2023, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service will expand their service so that young people can see more personalised options, including degree apprenticeships. From 2024, students will then be able to apply for apprenticeships alongside degrees, meaning young people can find the right option for them, all in one place
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an estimate of the (a) number of vacancies and (b) level of skill shortages in each occupation within the logistics industry.
Answered by Richard Holden - Minister without Portfolio (Cabinet Office)
The latest ONS data estimates vacancies in the Transport and Storage sector to be 47,000 between October-December 2022, down 15.3% on the previous quarter. We are taking forward initiatives to ensure the sector has the skills it needs, including the introduction of HGV skills bootcamps.
Asked by: Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative - Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Question to the Department for Education:
What steps her Department is taking to promote rural vocational educational courses.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department wants all students to have access to high-quality vocational and technical learning wherever they are based. That is why the department is reforming technical education to ensure that all post-16 students have access to high-quality technical options that support progression and meet employer needs.
This includes the introduction of T Levels which are substantial, rigorous, and focused on high quality learning and include a substantial industry placement element of around 9 weeks. They will provide the knowledge and experience needed for skilled employment, further study (including higher education) or a higher apprenticeship.
We will have 23 T Levels available from 2023 and the major providers of vocational education, many of whom operate in very rural areas, are already fully engaged with T Level planning and delivery, with over 200 schools also either planning or already offering T Levels.
We are also working closely with employers and employer groups nationally to build their awareness about T Levels and the importance of vocational education and to encourage them to offer industry placements as we know that this will be one of the big challenges in rural areas.
Apprenticeships are a core part of the government’s skills agenda, helping to drive economic growth by improving the skills pipeline. They give employees high-quality, hands-on training to start and progress in work and give employers the skills they need to grow, helping them fill their vacancies and train their workforces to address industry skills gaps. They offer a high-quality route into more than 650 occupations, from entry-level to expert roles, spanning Levels 2 to 7. To support more employers across the country to access apprenticeships, including in rural areas, we are increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by 2024/25 financial year.
The department has introduced Skills Bootcamps which offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and the offer of a job interview with an employer. They are currently available across the country and deliver training in key areas such as digital, technical (including engineering and manufacturing), construction, logistics and green skills. Bootcamps are available both in rural areas and delivering skills for rural economies
The free Courses for Jobs offer allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free in a wide range of sector subject areas that can support the rural economy, including Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care. Free Courses for Jobs are delivered through colleges and training providers across the country, including those that serve learners in rural areas.
We fund and support land-based colleges in rural locations and which specialise in education and training in the skills needed for rural economies. There are 12 designated land based colleges across the country. In addition, land-based provision is delivered by a number of and providers with land-based status across the country.
Further education providers, including those in rural areas, are able to deliver provision to 16-19 year old learners by combining both time in the classroom with remote delivery, having regard to funding regulations for 16-19 provision. For Adult learners, providers decide upon the mode of delivery for Adult Education Budget funded courses, to best meet learners’ needs and this can include on-line delivery.
The department recognises that the cost and availability of transport can be difficult for some students in rural areas. It is the responsibility of local authorities to put in place transport arrangements to help young people aged 16 to 18 to access education or training.
Many young people in rural areas have access to a discount or concession on local bus or train travel, either from their local authority or local transport providers. The government also supports local bus travel, including in rural areas, through the Bus Service Operators Grant.
Asked by: Lia Nici (Conservative - Great Grimsby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve vocational skills among school and college leavers.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department wants all students to have access to high quality vocational and technical learning. That is why the department is reforming technical education to ensure that all post-16 students have access to high quality technical options that support progression and meet employer needs.
This includes the introduction of T Levels which are substantial, rigorous and focused on high quality learning, and include a substantial industry placement element of around nine weeks. They will provide the knowledge and experience needed for skilled employment, further study (including higher education) or a higher apprenticeship.
We will have 23 T Levels available from 2023 and the major providers of vocational education are already fully engaged with T Level planning and delivery, with over 200 schools also either planning or already offering T Levels.
We are also working closely with employers and employer groups nationally to build their awareness about T Levels and the importance of vocational education and to encourage them to offer industry placements.
Apprenticeships are a core part of the government’s skills agenda, helping to drive economic growth by improving the skills pipeline. They give employees high-quality, hands-on training to start and progress in work and give employers the skills they need to grow, helping them fill their vacancies and train their workforces to address industry skills gaps. They offer a high-quality route into more than 650 occupations, from entry-level to expert roles, spanning Levels 2 to 7. To support more employers across the country to access apprenticeships we are increasing funding for apprenticeships in England to £2.7 billion by 2024/25 financial year.
We have introduced Skills Bootcamps which offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and the offer of a job interview with an employer. They are currently available across the country and deliver training in key areas such as digital, technical (including engineering and manufacturing), construction, logistics and green skills.
The free Courses for Jobs offer allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free, in subject areas including engineering, construction, health and social care and accounting, which can support them to gain higher wages or a better job.
Asked by: Luke Evans (Conservative - Bosworth)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Skills Fund on progress towards upskilling the adult workforce; and what steps his Department is taking to use the Skills Fund to help support more adults to achieve higher level qualifications in (a) Leicestershire and (b) Bosworth constituency.
Answered by Robert Halfon
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 have the potential to transform the skills landscape for adults and employers.
In December 2021, the department published outcome data on the Skills Bootcamps trailblazers, training delivered across six areas of the country between September 2020 and 31 March 2021 (Wave 1). Over 2000 learners completed Skills Bootcamps training, with 54% of adults completing training going on to secure a new job or apprenticeship or for those that are self-employed, access to new opportunities. In addition to these recorded outcomes, published research for Wave 1 of Skills Bootcamps suggests that three quarters of learners felt the training met or was meeting their needs, and 79% were satisfied with their course overall.
The department is on track to deliver 16,000 Skills Bootcamps training places in the 2021/22 financial year as planned and will continue to significantly expand Skills Bootcamps over the next 3 years, following the announcement at the 2021 Autumn Budget Spending Review of up to £550 million of funding across the 2022 to 2025 financial years. The evaluation of 2021/22 delivery, which will provide detail on learner starts, completions and outcomes will be available next year, with the evaluation of 2022/23 delivery available at a later date.
Skills Bootcamps are currently available across the country, offering training in digital, technical, including engineering and manufacturing, construction, logistics (HGV driving), and green skills, including heat pump engineer and electric vehicle charging point installation.
In Leicester, D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership are delivering some digital Skills Bootcamps through De Montfort University, working with Leicester employers who have vacancies in Leicester City Council, Test Q and NHS Leicester. More information about this can be accessed at: https://d2n2lep.org/people-skills/skills-bootcamps/.
The Free Courses for Jobs offer, which was launched in England in April 2021, gives eligible adults the chance to access high-value level 3 qualification for free. Eligible learners in Leicestershire and Bosworth, aged 19 and over, can take advantage of the offer. Adults without a full level 3 qualification are eligible. From April 2022 the offer has also been available to unemployed adults or those earning under the National Living Wage annually, regardless of their prior qualification level. Over 400 qualifications are included, in areas such as engineering, social care and accounting, alongside many others that have been identified for their strong wage outcomes and ability to meet key skills needs.
A recent evaluation of Free Courses for Jobs shows that it has increased uptake of these key qualifications, meaning more adults are making the most of this opportunity to boost their skills free of charge. 9 in 10 people surveyed say they believe their Free Courses for Jobs-funded qualification will help them progress in their careers. The data points to over 20,000 people having enrolled on the courses between the offer’s launch in April 2021 and May 2022.
Adults can also be supported to access qualifications not included in the Free Courses for Jobs offer, for example through Advanced Learner Loans. Advanced Learner Loans are income-contingent loans that provide extensive coverage of regulated qualifications at level 3 to level 6, helping to meet the up-front tuition fees.
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.