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1109914

registered interest
date	05/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Department for Education: Political Impartiality
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to the political impartiality of civil servants in his Department.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	241390
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>The civil servants in my department are bound by the standards of behaviour, including that of political impartiality, as set out in the 'Civil Service code', available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code</a>. These are clearly communicated to all civil servants in the department on a regular basis.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 15/04/2019 15:58:58 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109955

registered interest
date	05/04/2019
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 his Department is taking to meet its target of delivering 3 million apprenticeships; and what the timeframe is to meet that target.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	241398
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>​In 2015 we set an ambitious goal of 3 million apprenticeships by 2020, and that remains our ambition but we will not sacrifice quality to get there.</p><p>We have introduced a wide range of reforms to apprenticeships to improve their quality and encourage employers across England to increase the number of apprenticeships they offer.</p><p>New apprenticeship standards across all levels are being designed and driven by industry to give apprentices the skills that businesses really need. Over 420 standards are available for employers to use, and we can see that employers are moving quickly to this new higher-quality offer. During the first half of 2018/19, nearly 60% of starts were on the new standards.</p><p>We are supporting employers to make the long-term, sustainable investment in training which will generate more apprenticeship starts. We have halved the co-investment rate from 10% to 5% for new starts from April 2019, to ease the cost of apprenticeship training for smaller employers. Later this month we will increase the amount that levy paying employers can transfer to other employers from 10% to 25%.</p><p>​In addition, our new communication campaign, ‘Fire It Up’, is supporting our ambition to expand apprenticeships so that even more people can benefit from the long-term opportunities they provide.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 15/04/2019 15:50:21 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109956

registered interest
date	05/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Vocational Education
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve, (b) promote and (c) expand technical and vocational education and training.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	241399
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>Our long term reforms will create a world-class technical and vocational education system, offering a real choice of high quality training.</p><p>We have put quality at the heart of apprenticeships. Old style apprenticeships known as ‘frameworks’ are being replaced, giving way to new high quality employer-designed ‘standards’. From the start of the 2020/21 academic year, all new apprenticeship starts will be on standards. These changes are making sure that today’s apprenticeships reflect what business wants and needs. We are already seeing strong take up of standards, accounting for nearly 60% of starts in the first half the 2018/19 academic year. Our new apprenticeships campaign, ‘Fire It Up’, aims to change the way people think about apprenticeships by showing them as an aspirational choice for those with energy and passion and encouraging everyone to consider them.</p><p>T levels, alongside apprenticeships, will raise the prestige of technical education and provide students with a high-quality, technical alternative to A levels. With longer teaching hours and a meaningful industry placement, T levels will be excellent preparation for skilled work or higher level technical training. We are working closely with the providers selected for first delivery of T levels in 2020, to ensure that T levels are high quality courses from the very start. A communications campaign will launch later this year to raise awareness of T levels, where they can lead, and how they fit in with other post-16 choices.</p><p>Alongside the introduction of T levels, we are reviewing post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below, excluding A levels and GCSEs. The aim is to simplify the qualifications landscape so all qualifications are necessary, have a clear purpose, are high quality and have clear links to further study or employment. The first stage of the review, launched on 19 March, asks for views on defining these principles further. We are also reviewing how higher technical education (at levels 4 and 5) can better address the needs of students and employers. This includes ensuring that there is widespread clarity and confidence that qualifications at this level deliver the skills employers need.</p><p>We have also made £170 million funding available through our competition to establish Institutes of Technology (IoTs) across England. IoTs will be a new kind of prestigious and high quality institution, drawing on the strengths of FE colleges, universities and leading employers to deliver higher level technical training tailored to the specific skills needs of local areas. We will announce the outcome of the competition shortly and expect the first IoTs to open in the 2019/20 academic year.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 10/04/2019 16:30:36 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109836

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Ethnic Groups
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department are taking to encourage the uptake of apprenticeships amongst ethnic minorities.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	240958
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>We have set an ambitious target to increase the proportion of apprenticeships started by people of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds by 20% by 2020 (up from a baseline average of 10% in the 2010-15 Parliament to 11.9% by 2020). 11.2% (42,200) of total starts in 2017/18 were by people of BAME backgrounds. This is the highest proportion reported over the past 8 years.</p><p> </p><p>The Five Cities Project, launched in February 2018, is promoting the take up of apprenticeships by BAME individuals in Greater Manchester, London, Bristol, Birmingham and Leicester. Many partners are supporting this drive, including large employers such as B&amp;Q, Rolls Royce, and Optimity, local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, apprenticeship providers, schools, and community groups.</p><p> </p><p>Our Apprenticeships Diversity Champions Network (ADCN) has grown to over 70 members since its launch in 2017. It aims to influence the behaviour of other employers to support more people from underrepresented groups, including members of BAME communities, to start apprenticeships. Bristol City Council, an ADCN member, has launched a programme named 'Stepping up', which is providing a route for employees from BAME backgrounds into leadership positions through apprenticeships.</p><p> </p><p>Our new marketing campaign, ‘Fire it Up’, launched in January 2019 and set out to change the way people think about apprenticeships, demonstrating that they are a prestigious option, accessible to people from all backgrounds. ‘Fire it Up’ advertising features clear representation of apprentices from a diverse range of backgrounds, and showcases apprentices from BAME backgrounds in high-status, professional roles.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 10/04/2019 16:21:35 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1109837

registered interest
date	04/04/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Disability and Specific Learning Difficulties
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the uptake of apprenticeships among people with (a) disabilities and (b) learning difficulties.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	240959
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>The government wants to make sure that the benefits of an apprenticeship are available to all, including people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD). We are developing new communications and guidance products to demonstrate to people with LDD that apprenticeships are an option for them, and to support employers to employ apprentices with LDD. We have integrated the Department for Work and Pension’s Disability Confident campaign into the apprenticeship recruitment service so that the Disability Confident logo is displayed on apprenticeship vacancies for campaign-registered employers.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with local partners through our pacesetter project to test policy approaches and deliver tangible progress towards growing numbers of LDD apprentices. Pacesetters include councils, a school, and the learning disability charity Mencap.</p><p> </p><p>Our Apprenticeships Diversity Champions Network has grown to over 70 members since its launch in 2017. Many members have set aspirational targets for the number of LDD apprentices in their own workforce, and introduced initiatives designed to increase participation: for example, Walsall Council have extended their Positive Action Scheme to include those with special educational needs and disabilities.</p><p> </p><p>Our funding system, which provides additional support to training providers, is intended to encourage the successful take-up and achievement of apprenticeships by those with LDD. We continue to monitor the impact of these measures to ensure they support the achievement of our targets.</p><p> </p><p>We are making progress against our measure of success for a 20% increase in the proportion of starts by people with LDD by 2020 (from a baseline of 9.9% in 2015/16 to 11.9% by 2020). In 2017/18, apprentices from this group made up 11.2% (42,200) of total starts.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 10/04/2019 16:25:51 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1063950

registered interest
date	19/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Construction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to increase the quality of construction apprenticeships.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	223122
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2019 answer text <p>New, employer-designed apprenticeship standards are at the centre of our reforms to drive up quality and develop the skills businesses need for the future, in every part of the economy. Standards describe full occupational competence, as agreed by employers, and must include a rigorous and independent end-point assessment.</p><p>In the construction sector, 66 standards have already been approved for delivery and a further 33 are in development by trailblazer groups comprising employers of all sizes.</p><p>The move to standards, together with the minimum 20% off-the-job training rule, has already contributed to a 25% rise in expected apprenticeship training hours. The government has committed to all apprenticeship starts being on standards by the end of the 2019-20 academic year. Frameworks will be withdrawn on 31 July 2020.</p><p>We have also introduced quality assurance in apprenticeship training and assessment at all levels from a range of independent specialist bodies, and strengthened the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers to give employers confidence that apprentices will receive high-quality training.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 25/02/2019 17:30:20 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1063951

registered interest
date	19/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Construction
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect on productivity levels of (a) bricklaying, (b) plastering and (c) other core construction apprenticeships after (i) two years and (ii) three years of such apprenticeship training.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	223123
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2019 answer text <p>Research published in 2015 established that successful achievement of an apprenticeship in construction and building services is associated with an increase in earnings of 11% and 32% at Levels 2 and 3 respectively. This is measured 3 to 5 years after the apprenticeship, and is used as a measure of the increase in productivity.</p><p>The full research paper is available here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/480627/BIS-15-652-FE-analysis-further-disaggregation-employment-and-earnings-returns-by-sector-group.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/480627/BIS-15-652-FE-analysis-further-disaggregation-employment-and-earnings-returns-by-sector-group.pdf</a>.</p><p>Information regarding further breakdown of the effect of productivity levels by occupational route is not held centrally.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 25/02/2019 17:29:09 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1063952

registered interest
date	19/02/2019
answering body	Department for Education
answering dept id	60
answering dept short name	Education
answering dept sort name	Education
hansard heading	Apprentices: Taxation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to increase the proportion of Apprenticeship Levy vouchers that are able to be passed down the supply chain to smaller non-Levy paying companies.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	223124
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2019 answer text <p>Employers that pay the Apprenticeship Levy can transfer up to 10% of their annual apprenticeship service funds to other employers, including non-levy paying employers. From April 2019, the amount that employers can transfer will increase to 25%.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 25/02/2019 17:28:02 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1063715

registered interest
date	18/02/2019
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, what steps his Department has taken to support small businesses in taking on apprentices.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	222813
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>Apprenticeships offer businesses of all sizes an opportunity to make a sustainable investment in the training they need to grow and prosper.</p><p>For businesses with fewer than 50 employees who take on apprentices aged 16-18 (or up to the age of 24 for care leavers), the government meets the full cost of training. All organisations who do not pay the apprenticeship levy benefit from very generous funding from government, which will rise to 95% of the cost of training and assessment in 2019.</p><p>The new apprenticeships marketing campaign, Fire it Up, aims to increase the number of apprenticeship vacancies offered by employers, and incorporates a website featuring case studies from small businesses and information on the funding support available. It will continue to support employers to create new vacancies and publicise these on the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ website.</p><p>Small businesses are also able to benefit from transfers of apprenticeship levy funds, which enable levy-paying employers to use up to 10% of their annual levy funds (up to 25% from April 2019) to support apprenticeship starts in their supply chain or to meet local skills shortages.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 26/02/2019 13:36:13 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1061233

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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 assessment his Department has made of the value for money of apprenticeships standards compared with apprenticeships frameworks.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	221637
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>New apprenticeship standards across all levels are being designed by employers, creating higher quality training that will lead to a more skilled and productive economy. The move away from apprenticeship frameworks’ on-programme assessment via qualifications to the standards’ rigorous end-point assessment gives employers much greater assurance that, at the end of the apprenticeship, the apprentice is fully occupationally competent.</p><p>There were 163,700 starts on apprenticeship standards in 2017/18, which is more than 6 times higher than in 2016/17. This shows that employers are moving quickly to this new higher quality offer. The 20% minimum off-the-job training rule and this shift to standards with a longer average duration has already contributed to a 25% rise in expected apprenticeship training hours over the past year.</p><p>We will continue to assess the value for money of apprenticeship standards over the longer term as we see more apprentices complete the standards and progress in their careers.</p> answering member constituency Guildford answering member printed Anne Milton question first answered 21/02/2019 15:50:33 answering member 1523 label Biography information for Anne Milton
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes