We are pleased that employers are choosing to move to our new, higher quality apprenticeship offer to make a sustainable investment in the skills that they need to grow. Employers are designing higher level apprenticeships that take longer and require more off-the-job training and, while this is something to be welcomed, we are conscious of the challenges it presents.<\/p>
<\/p>
In 2019-20, funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England will be over £2.5 billion, this is double what was spent in 2010-11. The apprenticeship budget is set in advance by Her Majesty\u2019s Treasury for the current spending review period. Currently, we expect to be within budget in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 financial years. We continue to monitor the trend of increasing spending on apprenticeships and to make use of our engagement with employers in addition to all available data from the programme to inform forecasts of demand and future costs.<\/p>
<\/p>
The level of funding for the programme beyond 2020 will be determined by the forthcoming Spending Review announced by my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his Spring Statement.<\/p>
\u200bIn the Autumn Statement last year, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that the government would work with employers and providers on the use of the apprenticeship levy after 2020.<\/p> We have been looking at how organisations have responded to the introduction of the levy and associated reforms as well as how we can help develop future demand for, and provision of, apprenticeships. We have also been exploring the impact of the levy across different sectors and regions and for different types of apprentices as well as the contribution of apprenticeships to the wider skills landscape.<\/p> Over the past few months, we have used a number of channels, including a survey and regional roundtables across England, to work with a range of different employers, providers and representative organisations. We will continue to listen to the views of employers and providers in the run-up to the Spending Review.<\/p>"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2019-03-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the (a) terms of reference and (b) scope is of his Department's review of the Apprenticeship Levy.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/968271", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/968271/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Officials at the Department have held a number of discussions with the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses and the British Chamber of Commerce with the purpose of increasing awareness and understanding of the new GCSEs. The Department has also worked with these organisations to communicate the new GCSE grading scale to employers, via the Department\u2019s online factsheets and videos.<\/p> Ofqual, the independent qualifications regulator, has also worked with these organisations and other employer groups to support employer understanding. Ofqual published a report on perceptions of the new GCSEs in April 2018. The findings showed that awareness amongst businesses of the 9 to 1 grading scale had doubled from 32% in the previous survey in April 2017, to 68% this year.<\/p> Ministers regularly meet employer groups to discuss a range of issues.<\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions (a) Ministers of his Department and (b) officials in his Department have had with the (i) CBI, (ii) Federation of Small Business and (iii) British Chamber of Commerce on employer-understanding of the recent changes to 9-1 grading for GCSEs.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/934358", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
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<\/em><\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the conclusions of the National Audit Office\u2019s report of 6 March 2019, The apprenticeships programme, HC 1987 2017-19, what plans he has to address concerns that funding for that programme may be insufficient should there be an increase in demand for apprenticeships.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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