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48723

registered interest
date	28/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many workplaces employ apprentices in each (a) region and (b) parliamentary constituency.
tabling member constituency	North Swindon
tabling member printed	Justin Tomlinson
uin	196849
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2014 answer text <p>I am placing the information sought by my hon Friend in the libraries of the House. Table 1 shows the number of workplaces that employ Apprentices by Region and Table 2 shows the number of workplaces that employ Apprentices by Parliamentary Constituency.</p><p> </p><p>The tables will also be published online through the FE Data Library:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-other-statistics-and-research" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-other-statistics-and-research</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 01/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock attachment 1 file name 3676 Workplaces by Region and Constituency Final.xls title Workplaces
tabling member	4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson

48418

registered interest
date	25/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of higher apprenticeships in Lancashire.
tabling member constituency	Fylde
tabling member printed	Mark Menzies
uin	196486
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Higher apprenticeship starts in Lancashire Local Education Authority have increased from 40 in the 2009/10 academic year to 370 in 2012/13.</p><p> </p><p>The Budget announced £20 million over 2014-15 and 2015-16 for new support for employer investment in apprenticeships in England up to postgraduate level, which will provide apprentices with the technical skills that employers need. This will complement the £80 million funding over 2014-15 and 2015-16 for 20,000 more higher apprenticeships announced in the autumn statement – more than doubling current volumes.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	3998 label Biography information for Mark Menzies

48425

registered interest
date	25/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2014, Official Report, column 744W, on National Careers Service, what assessment his Department has made of the National Careers Service's progress in achieving its key strategic aims for marketing.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	196641
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The National Careers Service marketing strategy using targeted on-line activity has been pursued since October 2013.</p><p> </p><p>Through regular market research we have seen an increase in awareness[1] of the support the National Careers Service offers since the campaign started from 24 per cent to 29 per cent. All of the targeted groups show a greater awareness than the remainder of those sampled:</p><p> </p><p>· Awareness among individuals looking to advance their career has increased by 28 per cent increase to 39 per cent;</p><p>· Awareness among those who are looking for a better job to support a change in circumstances has increased by 14 per cent to 32 per cent;</p><p>· Awareness among those who have been or are about to be made redundant has remained broadly the same with 37 per cent aware of the Service.</p><p> </p><p>Over 56 per cent of these three groups are likely to use the Service, compared with only 8 per cent of others surveyed.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><br /><p>[1] Both spontaneous and prompted.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

48495

registered interest
date	25/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will name each further education college in Greater London.
tabling member constituency	Tottenham
tabling member printed	Mr David Lammy
uin	196694
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>Further Education Colleges incorporated under section 16 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 in Greater London are as follows:</p><p> </p><p>Barking and Dagenham College</p><p>Barnet and Southgate College</p><p>Bexley College</p><p>Bromley College of Further and Higher Education</p><p>Capel Manor College</p><p>Carshalton College</p><p>LeSoCo</p><p>City and Islington College</p><p>City of Westminster College</p><p>College of North West London</p><p>Croydon College</p><p>Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College</p><p>Greenwich Community College</p><p>Hackney Community College</p><p>Harrow College</p><p>Havering College of Further and Higher Education</p><p>Kensington and Chelsea College</p><p>Kingston College</p><p>Newham College of Further Education</p><p>Redbridge College</p><p>Richmond Adult and Community College</p><p>Richmond upon Thames College</p><p>South Thames College</p><p>Stanmore College</p><p>The College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London</p><p>Tower Hamlets College</p><p>Uxbridge College</p><p>Waltham Forest College</p><p>West Thames College</p><p>Westminster Kingsway College</p><p> </p><p>Further Education Colleges Designated under section 28 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992 in Greater London</p><p> </p><p>Hillcroft College</p><p>Marine Society College of the Sea</p><p>Morley College</p><p>Workers' Educational Association</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	206 label Biography information for Mr David Lammy

47878

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in establishing the effect of school reporting metrics on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as a destination.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195984
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195985 195987 195989 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47879

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in increasing the number of higher apprenticeships in the professional and business services sector.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195989
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195985 195987 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47880

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in (a) developing a clearing house for professional and business services higher apprenticeship applicants and (b) helping small and medium-sized enterprises access this talent pool.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195985
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195987 195989 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47881

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what web-based initiatives have been set up to link professional and business services businesses with the education sector.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195990
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195985 195987 195989 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47883

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in increasing the diversity of entry to the professional and business services sector.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195987
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195985 195989 195990 195991 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright

47884

registered interest
date	09/04/2014
answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept id	26
answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, with reference to Growth is Our Business: A Strategy for Professional and Business Services published in July 2013, what progress his Department has made in piloting new approaches to improving business and skills system engagement and sharing of good practice.
tabling member constituency	Hartlepool
tabling member printed	Mr Iain Wright
uin	195991
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>These questions ask about a number of actions related to skills development from “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services”, published in July 2013 as part of Government's industrial strategy. The strategy was developed in collaboration with the professional and business services sector, focusing on the industry's agenda for long term growth. It is led by the Professional and Business Services Council.</p><p> </p><p>The strategy reflects two key business priorities in skills development. First, to expand recruitment routes into the sector, in particular higher apprenticeships, to access a wider, more diverse talent pool. Second, to help businesses engage with the education system to raise aspirations and promote work readiness. A business-led skills taskforce for professional and business services has been established. It is developing approaches to implement the strategy and will report progress at the end of this year.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is leading work to help towards the strategy's ambitious target to treble the number of higher apprenticeship starts across professional and business services to 10,000 over five years; and to follow progress in the interim, so that the numbers of these apprenticeships can be monitored. As a first step, the taskforce is supporting the London Professional Apprenticeship scheme, which was launched in December 2013, and is now recruiting apprentices and employers to take part. The scheme will pilot the proposal for a “clearing house” to help small firms access higher apprenticeships in professional and business services. In addition, the taskforce is backing new ‘trailblazer' initiatives, announced in March 2014, to develop employer-driven standards for apprenticeships in several professional and business services occupations.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is currently researching the metrics for schools' reporting and their effect on the prestige of higher apprenticeships as initial career destinations. It will consider if more could be done to ensure higher apprenticeships have parity of esteem with higher education.</p><p> </p><p>The taskforce is also mapping current school engagement activity involving professional and business services firms with a view to identifying and sharing good practice.</p><p> </p><p>The new emphasis on wider use of higher apprenticeships across professional and business services should contribute towards a greater diversity of routes into these careers in the years to come; potentially offering opportunities to a wider pool of talent.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce intends to consider how the employability of young people can be supported within the national curriculum, but believes that greater engagement between employers and young people is the best way of improving employability skills.</p><p> </p><p>My noble friend Lord Lingfield has set up the independent Institution for Further Education to take forward work on a new chartered status quality schemeand is considering the application and assessment process for Further Education providers.</p><p> </p><p>The skills taskforce is exploring how web-based services can support engagement between firms and the education sector, including a planned digital “inspiration” tool being developed by this Department to encourage business-schools engagement.</p><p> </p><p>Further information on the implementation of “Growth is our business: a strategy for professional and business services” is included in a progress report on industrial strategy, published on 23 April 2014: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/industrial-strategy-early-successes-and-future-priorities</a>.</p> answering member constituency West Suffolk answering member printed Matthew Hancock grouped question UIN 195984 195985 195987 195989 195990 195992 195993 question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4070 label Biography information for Matt Hancock
tabling member	1478 label Biography information for Mr Iain Wright