Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1696799

registered interest
date	18/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education: Small Businesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education Route Panel members are SMEs.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	19068
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to the Honourable Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 21/03/2024 17:13:40 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1695689

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Vocational Guidance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking with career advice services to help ensure that young people leaving school can move into a (a) job and (b) apprenticeship.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	18524
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>In October 2023, the department launched a new website called Skills for Careers that provides a single digital front door to information about skills training options and careers. From Skills for Careers, users are guided through government’s skills offer from apprenticeships to Skills Bootcamps, A levels to Multiply. The website provides an overview of each option, along with information about writing job applications and CVs. The Skill for Life website can be found here: <a href="https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life" target="_blank">https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life</a>.</p><p>The government has strengthened legislation to ensure all secondary pupils have access to independent and impartial careers guidance, and pupils in years 8-13 have at least six opportunities to hear directly from providers of technical education and apprenticeships.</p><p>Since September 2012, schools have had a statutory duty to secure independent careers guidance. For pupils of compulsory school age, this must include information on the full range of 16-18 education and training options, including apprenticeships.</p><p>The Careers and Enterprise Company will ensure that Careers Hubs increase young peoples’ exposure to employers and more in-depth workplace experiences. These experiences give young people a real feel for work and the skills they need to succeed.</p><p>The National Careers Service provides free, impartial high-quality careers information, advice and guidance. Young people aged 13-18 can access information and advice through the service website and local community-based careers advisers via a web chat service and a telephone helpline.</p><p>The Careers Pathway Dashboard allows users to see which are the most popular and best qualifications needed to gain successful employment in a specific sector within a local area. This is a first attempt to create information to support careers advice for young people exploring their career options or starting their career. The Careers Pathway Dashboard can be found here: <a href="https://department-for-education.shinyapps.io/education-to-employment-dashboard/" target="_blank">https://department-for-education.shinyapps.io/education-to-employment-dashboard/</a>.</p><p>Careers Leaders work to develop careers programmes that will improve the quality of careers advice in schools and give more aspirational careers advice for children and young people.</p><p>The department actively promotes apprenticeships in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) programme. During the 2022/23 academic year, ASK engaged over 2,400 schools and colleges, with over 625,000 student engagements and more than 45,000 parent/carer engagements.</p><p>Jobcentre Plus school advisers work closely with schools and colleges to support their statutory duty to deliver careers education and guidance, assisting young people to make informed choices about which path they can follow when they leave secondary school or reach 18.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 21/03/2024 12:21:14 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1695690

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Young People
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to encourage young people to undertake a foundation apprenticeship on leaving school.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	18525
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>Apprenticeships offer brilliant opportunities for school leavers, with over 690 high-quality apprenticeship standards available across all sectors of the economy and at all levels, including 368 standards at levels 2 and 3. The department has a range of work underway to promote and support young people into apprenticeships, and it is encouraging to see that starts by under-19s so far this academic year have increased by 6% on the same period last year.</p><p>Students can now see apprenticeship vacancies on their UCAS Hub, and our Career Starter Apprenticeships campaign is promoting apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3 which offer great opportunities for those looking for their first role after leaving full-time education. The department also continues to invest around £3.2 million annually in the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme which ensures students are aware of the benefits of apprenticeships, with over 620,000 student interactions across 2,300 schools and further education colleges in the 2022/23 academic year.</p><p>In addition, the department continues to pay £1,000 to employers and providers when they take on apprentices aged 16-18, and the care leavers bursary has tripled to £3,000 to help even more young people to access and complete apprenticeships.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 19/03/2024 16:39:57 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1695691

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: English Language and Mathematics
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to help enable apprentices to gain proficiency in maths and English in the first year of their apprenticeship.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	18526
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>Achieving a good standard in English and mathematics is important to longer term career prospects, with research showing that achieving English and mathematics qualifications can correlate to higher earning potential. That is why the department funds apprentices to achieve qualifications in English and/or mathematics by the end of their apprenticeship if they do not already hold them.</p><p>The department recently increased funding by 54% so apprentices receive more support in gaining these vital skills. It is important that providers maintain the flexibility to plan how and when this provision is delivered in the most effective way possible during the apprenticeship.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 21/03/2024 11:48:39 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1695692

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to encourage people to undertake a higher level apprenticeship on completion of an apprenticeship.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	18527
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2024 answer text <p>Higher-level apprenticeships offer great opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds, from those starting out in their career to those looking to upskill or retrain, with over 320 apprenticeship standards at Levels 4 to 7.</p><p>Each apprenticeship standard covers a distinct occupation. Although learners do not need to have completed an apprenticeship at a lower level to start a higher-level apprenticeship, the department is continuing to promote career progression through apprenticeships.</p><p>The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education publishes occupational maps which show how apprenticeships and technical education support progression in each sector. This is available at: <a href="https://occupational-maps.instituteforapprenticeships.org/" target="_blank">https://occupational-maps.instituteforapprenticeships.org/</a>.</p><p>To help more people benefit from the high-quality training that higher-level apprenticeships offer, the department is investing £40 million over the next two years to expand degree apprenticeships and students can now see apprenticeship vacancies on their UCAS Hub alongside undergraduate courses.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 19/03/2024 16:31:34 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1695693

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Small Businesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to encourage clusters of small employers to take on an apprentice jointly.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	18528
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>The department has introduced flexi-job apprenticeship agencies (FJAAs), which are supporting sectors with short-term project-based work by allowing apprentices to work with multiple host employers, and on a range of projects, to gain the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in their chosen field. The department encourages small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to become host employers and benefit from access to a diverse apprenticeship talent pipeline to help their businesses grow and prosper.</p><p>There are now 42 FJAAs supporting the delivery of apprenticeships across every region in England in sectors such as the creative industries, construction, and education. SMEs interested in hosting apprentices can contact a flexi-job apprenticeship agency directly. The current register of FJAAs can be accessed here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexi-job-apprenticeships/flexi-job-apprenticeship-agencies" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexi-job-apprenticeships/flexi-job-apprenticeship-agencies</a>.</p><p>More widely, the department has made it easier for SMEs to grow their businesses by removing the limit on the number of apprentices they can take on and cutting by a third the number of steps needed to register to take on an apprentice. The department also continues to pay 95% of training costs for SMEs and has recently launched an expert provider pilot which will give additional permissions to providers within the apprenticeship service so they can take on more administration from SMEs. This will inform development of a wider offer next year.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 21/03/2024 12:03:02 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1695699

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Shipping: Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many seafarer apprentices have been trained by private shipping companies operating in the UK since 17 March 2022.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull East
tabling member printed	Karl Turner
uin	18422
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2024 answer text <p>There were 50 apprenticeship starts in England on the Seafarer (Deck Rating) apprenticeship standard in the 2021/22 academic year, 40 starts in 2022/23 and 20 starts reported so far, August to October, for 2023/24. The department cannot identify whether the apprenticeship employer is a private shipping company.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 18/03/2024 16:38:49 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4030 label Biography information for Karl Turner

1695846

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many standards the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has retired in the last two years; and for what reason those standards were retired.
tabling member constituency	Feltham and Heston
tabling member printed	Seema Malhotra
uin	18457
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to the Honourable Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 21/03/2024 16:52:29 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4253 label Biography information for Seema Malhotra

1695862

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Students: Cost of Living
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support postgraduate students with the cost of living.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	18576
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>The government introduced postgraduate loans as a contribution to the cost of postgraduate level study.</p><p>The maximum loan available has continued to increase each year, by 2.8% for the current 2023/24 academic year, with a further 2.5% increase announced for 2024/25.</p><p>Decisions on student finance have had to be taken to ensure the system remains financially sustainable and the costs of higher education (HE) are shared fairly between students and taxpayers, not all of whom have benefited from going to university.</p><p>Overall, support to households to help with the high cost of living is worth £94 billion over 2022/23 to 2024/25, an average of £3,300 per UK household. The government believes this will ease the pressure on family budgets and will in turn enable many families to provide additional support to their children in HE to help them meet increased living costs.</p><p>Students in private rented accommodation who are provided energy through a commercial entity may also benefit from the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) which provides a baseline discount on energy bills for non-domestic users locked into high fixed price tariffs. Any non-domestic user who benefits from the EBDS must ensure the benefit is passed through to the end user, such as students in private rented accommodation. The EBDS runs for 12 months from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 21/03/2024 17:01:55 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1695863

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the implications for her policies of trends in the number of apprenticeship completions.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	18577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>Since 2015 the department has transformed apprenticeships so that they are higher quality and better meet the needs of employers and individuals. The department has replaced apprenticeship frameworks with employer-designed apprenticeship standards which are more robust and harder to achieve, and raised the bar on duration, time to learn off the job and quality of assessment.</p><p>It is important that every apprentice gets the maximum value from their apprenticeship. and the department has focused its efforts on supporting apprentices to stay on their programme and achieve. The department is investing £7.5 million in a workforce development programme for teachers and trainers of apprentices. In addition, the department has increased the apprenticeship funding rate for English and mathematics by 54%, providing targeted support to employers and Ofsted are inspecting all apprenticeship providers by 2025.</p><p>The department is now seeing the positive impact of these actions. There were 162,320 achievements reported for the 2022/23 academic year, which represent the highest number since 2018/19, up 18.3% compared to the 2021/22 academic year. Furthermore, 37,400 people have achieved their apprenticeship so far this academic year, up by 22% compared to the same period last year.</p><p>On 21 March, the department will be publishing the apprenticeship national achievement rates for 2022/23 academic year as well as the latest data on the number of achievements so far this year. This will be accessible through the apprenticeships statistical publication found here: <a href="https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships" target="_blank">https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships</a>.</p> answering member constituency Harlow answering member printed Robert Halfon question first answered 21/03/2024 11:55:40 answering member 3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan