It is important that our workforce is equipped with the skills needed to adapt to changing technological advances, including green technologies. Our reforms to apprenticeships are one of the ways that we are supporting employers to develop the skills they need now and in the future.

New apprenticeship standards across all levels are being designed and driven by industry and there are now more than 500 different apprenticeship standards available, including plumbing and domestic heating technician, smart home technician and dual fuel smart meter installer: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/.

Prior to its launch in 2013, there was consideration by Government and stakeholders of whether the Green Deal could offer opportunities for apprenticeships, and £3 million was made available in funding for Green Deal advisors and installers.

Each apprenticeship standard is allocated a funding band based on recommendations by the independent Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute). The Institute uses a wide range of evidence to inform these funding band allocations, including information from trailblazer groups, training providers and assessment organisations, and consideration of comparable qualifications such as relevant standards.

A longer duration often drives a higher funding band, due to the larger volume of material delivered in the standard. In this instance, the level 3 Adult Care Worker has a 12-month duration, compared to a 30- and 36-month duration for Veterinary Nurse and Project Controls Technician respectively.

The Institute is improving the transparency and operation of the funding band recommendation process in 2019-20 and will test improvements with employers.

The government has reformed apprenticeships to include new high-quality apprenticeship standards that meet the needs of employers across all industries.

There are 118 Engineering and Manufacturing standards available for employers in the shipbuilding industry to choose from, and a total of 507 standards available across a wide range of sectors from Business and Administration, to Health and Science.

The Engineering Technician standard at Level 3 has been developed by employers, including employers in the defence industry such as BAE Systems, Babcock and the Royal Navy. This standard includes the following maritime defence pathways: Maritime Electrical Fitter, Maritime Mechanical Fitter, Maritime Fabricator, and Maritime Pipeworker. More detail on the standard can be found on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education’s website at: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/engineering-technician/.

Employers in all sectors across England, including the shipping and offshore energy sectors, can use their apprenticeship levy funds to invest in these new high-quality apprenticeship standards, unlocking the productivity benefits associated with employing apprentices.

In the 2019-20 financial year, the funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England is over £2.5 billion, which is double what we spent in 2010-11.

We are working with all sectors as they produce their skills deals and we encourage them to consider the opportunities and apprenticeships they offer, by building them into their plans.

The National Apprenticeship Service is supporting employers to develop their apprenticeship programmes. More information on apprenticeships is available at: https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/.

The below table shows level 2 apprenticeship starts in the construction industry sector for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 academic years. This is the latest available data, and it is taken from the ‘Apprenticeships in England by Industry Characteristics’ statistics publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-characteristics.

Notes:

1) All numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.

We also publish apprenticeship starts by sector subject area. The number of level 2 apprenticeship starts for the sector subject area ‘Construction, Planning and the Built Environment’ for the academic years 2015/16 to 2017/18 is shown in the table below, along with starts in the first 3 quarters of the 2018/19 academic year. Data for 2015/16 to 2017/18 are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/804343/Monthly-apprenticeship-starts-fwk-tool_May-2019.xlsx.

Data for the first 3 quarters of 2018/19 are published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/814997/Apprenticeship-starts-ach-framework-standard-tool_201718_Q3-201819_July2019.xlsx.

Table 2: Level 2 apprenticeship starts in Construction, Planning and the Built Environment sector subject area: 2015/16 to Q3 2018/19

Notes:

1) The data source is the Individualised Learner Record (ILR).

2) In this table, numbers are a count of the number of starts at any point during the period. Learners starting more than one apprenticeship will appear more than once.

3) Apprenticeship starts include all funded and unfunded learners reported on the ILR.

4) For the 2018/19 academic year (reported to date), numbers are counted only for months August 18 to April 19 (quarter 3).

5) All numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.

The T level in On-Site Construction incorporates a number of occupational standards, including level 2 Bricklayer. A T level student who chooses the bricklaying occupational specialism will therefore develop many of the skills included in the level 2 Bricklayer apprenticeship. Once the T level qualification has been approved, we will be able to assess more accurately any differences between the competence conveyed by the level 2 Bricklayer apprenticeship and the T level in On-Site Construction.

Under current apprenticeship rules, a T level student would be able to progress to a level 2 apprenticeship if it allows them to acquire substantive new skills and the content of the training is materially different from their T level. The apprenticeship would need to be a minimum of 12 months in duration and involve at least 20% off-the-job training.

Our analysis of the overlap between the approved T level qualification and the level 2 apprenticeship will therefore be important in determining progression options, including eligibility for an apprenticeship at the same or a lower level.

Assessors from any organisation undertaking end-point assessment must be on the Education and Skills Funding Agency’s register of end-point assessment organisations (EPAOs). If an organisation can demonstrate their capability and capacity to deliver, and are not involved in the on-programme delivery of the standard either as a training provider or employer, they are eligible to apply to be an EPAO.

All end-point assessments are subject to external quality assurance by an independent external body to ensure the consistency of high-quality assessments and maintained standards. Regulators such as Ofqual, provide external quality assurance.

This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships. I have asked its Chief Executive, Sir Gerry Berragan, to write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Levy-paying employers in England do not use digital vouchers. Employers that pay the apprenticeship levy use funds in their apprenticeship service accounts to pay for training and assessment and to transfer to other employers

In October 2019, the apprenticeships and levy statistics publication reported that there were 780 transferred commitments that have materialised into apprenticeship starts as recorded on the Individualised Learner Record (ILR) as at 31 August 2019. Of these, 20 (2.7%) were starts in the Construction, Planning and Built Environment sector subject area.

Please note:
1) The figures above are rounded to the nearest 10 and percentage to 1 decimal place.

2) The percentage is derived from unrounded figures.

3) The figures above show only those transfers where a start is taking place on a standard in the Construction, Planning and Built Environment sector subject area. The construction industry sector could include starts on standards in other sector subject areas (i.e. Business, Administration and Law).

We are unable to identify whether a transfer between apprenticeship service accounts was from a levy-paying company to a non-levy paying company as we do not centrally hold data on the size of employer and their industry sector. This means we cannot identify if these transfers of levy funds were to the apprenticeship service accounts of small to medium-sized employers. The Department for Education does, however, periodically perform an analysis linking ILR data to the Inter-Departmental Business Register data (held by the Office for National Statistics) to identify the size and industry sector of employers, with the most recent analysis covering the 2016/17 academic year. Thes statistics are available at the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-characteristics.

Our reforms to apprenticeships have fundamentally changed what apprenticeships are and the long-term opportunities they provide for people of all ages and backgrounds.

We publish data on apprenticeship starts by demographic on a quarterly basis. The most recent data can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/815288/Apprenticeship-starts-ach-detailed-demographic_201718_Q3-201819_July2019.xlsx.

The table below shows an extract of apprenticeships starts data by the ages requested from the 2016/17 and 2017/18 academic years, as well as data for quarter 1 to 3 of the 2017/18 and 2018/19 academic years. Full data for the 2018/19 academic year will be published on 28 November at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/further-education-and-skills-official-statistics.

There have been 311,200 apprenticeship starts reported in the first 3 quarters of the 2018/19 academic year, a 7.1% rise compared to the same period in the 2017/18 academic year. In parallel, we continue to see a reduction in the number of level 2 starts during the first 3 quarters of the 2018/19 academic year, down 10% compared to the same point the previous year. We know that 16-18 year olds in particular are more likely to undertake a level 2 apprenticeship and therefore be affected by this reduction.

This change in level 2 starts has largely occurred where apprenticeships were struggling to meet the minimum quality standards required by our reforms. We are replacing old-style frameworks, which apprentices and employers told us were not providing the skills they needed, with new employer-designed standards. Apprenticeships are intended to take people to a point of full competence in their chosen occupation. It is therefore possible for a young person with limited experience to achieve a level 3 apprenticeship. In 2018/19 we have seen growth in level 3 Engineering starts in particular for 16 ,17 and 18 year olds. Overall, we continue to see strong take up of standards with 63% of starts so far in 2018/19 on high-quality standards, compared to 44% in 2017/18.

Levels of young people not in education, training or employment are at a record low and apprenticeships play an important role in getting young people into work. We will continue to monitor the impact of our apprenticeship reforms on 16-18 year olds.

We are committed to ensuring that our reforms to apprenticeships work for smaller employers and their providers, such as group training associations (GTAs).

GTAs are important members of the training provider market, working for groups of employers to provide high quality training. We ran a procurement exercise to secure high-quality training to support small and medium-sized employers from January 2018 to April 2019. This was a highly competitive exercise attracting interest from a wide range of training providers and we recognise that not all providers were successful in the competition. The contracts we awarded have been subsequently extended to April 2020, supported by over £700 million funding for new starts and existing apprentices.

In addition to these contracts, the smaller employers are also able to receive transfers from levy-paying employers, allowing GTAs access to levy-funded training. We have also announced that we will shortly enable levy payers to transfer funds to cover the full cost of training for 16 to 18-year-olds in the smallest businesses with fewer than 50 employers.

Earlier this year, we confirmed that small and medium enterprises (SMEs), who do not pay the apprenticeship levy, would soon be able to access the benefits of using the award-winning apprenticeship service (AS). The AS, already in use by large levy paying employers, will give SMEs greater control over choosing their apprenticeships, a greater range of training providers to engage with, and a new route to access apprenticeship funding.

We announced at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP) conference on 29 October 2019 that from January we will begin to transition SMEs onto the service, and will be supporting up to an additional 5,000 starts per month from January to March 2020 for employers that don’t pay the levy. We will be issuing more detail on the transition arrangements from November and throughout 2020.

Officials meet regularly with GTA England to discuss training provision, including in respect of apprenticeships. We also work closely with the AELP, the Learning and Work Institute, and the Association of Colleges to consider a range of sectoral issues and to ensure that our apprenticeships reforms continue to work for employers of all sizes, including charities.

Data on apprenticeship starts, completions, training providers and age of apprentices is not available for the maritime industry sector specifically.

Due to the methodology behind these experimental statistics, data has not been published below the broad industry sector level.

The most recent statistics on apprenticeships starts by broad industry sector cover the academic years 2012/13 to 2016/17 and are published at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-characteristics.

This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships. I have asked its Chief Executive, Sir Gerry Berragan, to write to the hon. Member, and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses when it is available.

Data on apprenticeship starts, completions, training providers and age of apprentices is not available for the maritime industry sector specifically.

Due to the methodology behind these experimental statistics, data has not been published below the broad industry sector level.

The most recent statistics on apprenticeships starts by broad industry sector cover the academic years 2012/13 to 2016/17 and are published at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-characteristics.

Data on apprenticeship starts, completions, training providers and age of apprentices is not available for the maritime industry sector specifically.

Due to the methodology behind these experimental statistics, data has not been published below the broad industry sector level.

The most recent statistics on apprenticeships starts by broad industry sector cover the academic years 2012/13 to 2016/17 and are published at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-in-england-by-industry-characteristics.

We are introducing T levels, a high-quality technical alternative to A levels to help young people get the high-wage, high-skill jobs of the future. With longer teaching hours, higher standards and a meaningful industry placement, T levels will be more rigorous and occupationally relevant than many current vocational courses.

Alongside the introduction of T levels, we are reviewing post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below. The aim is to ensure that qualifications are necessary, have a distinct purpose, are high- quality and support progression.

Apprenticeships are a high-quality alternative path to a career for people of all ages and we are improving the quality of apprenticeships through making them longer, better, with more off-the job training and proper assessment at the end.

We have established 4 National Colleges, which are leading the way in the design and delivery of higher technical skills training, ensuring that industries and sectors which are critical to our national economic growth, have the skills they need.

We are investing up to £290 million of capital funding to enable every region in England to establish a high quality Institute of Technology. With state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, and employers in the driving seat, they will give businesses the skilled workforce they need to drive growth and productivity and get more people into rewarding jobs.

It is important that students and young people have access to high-quality information and advice about their choices, including technical options and apprenticeships.

In 2017 we introduced a new Careers Strategy, setting out a long-term plan to build a world class careers system that will help young people and adults choose the career that’s right for them. An important element of the strategy is the responsibility that schools and colleges must provide their students with a full picture of their options. This includes a new law introduced in January 2018, under which schools must allow technical education and apprenticeship providers into their schools to talk to pupils about their offer.

We have also undertaken a range of activities to make students and young people aware of the benefits an apprenticeship can offer. Our apprenticeships campaign, Fire It Up, is working to promote apprenticeships to young people, demonstrating that they are an aspirational choice for anyone with passion and energy.

We are also working with schools to promote apprenticeships to students. We have developed Amazing Apprenticeships, a website and resource portal for schools and teachers. In addition, we offer a free service to schools through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge (ASK) project to ensure that teachers have the knowledge and support to enable them to promote apprenticeships to their students. Last academic year the ASK programme reached over 300,000 students across 2,368 establishments and from September 2019 it has been extended to include years 7 to 9.