Alison McGovern (Wirral South) (Lab)
5. What assessment he has made of access to apprenticeships for young women.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills (Matthew Hancock)
The number of women starting apprenticeships has more than doubled since this Government took office. The tax cuts for low earners that were announced yesterday by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will take thousands of apprentices—men and women—out of tax altogether.
Alison McGovern
I thank the Minister for his answer, I think. It sounded lovely, but unfortunately the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee reported in November:
“Gender segregation remains a huge problem with only 3% of engineering apprentices”
being women
“compared to 92% of hairdressing apprentices.”
The Select Committee said:
“Such inequality, especially in a publicly funded scheme is not acceptable”.
Since November, what has the Minister been doing about that?
Matthew Hancock
Under Labour, a minority—[Interruption.] Hold on! Under Labour, a minority of those starting apprenticeships were women, and now a majority of those starting apprenticeships are women. I thought that the hon. Lady would welcome that. Specifically on engineering, not only is the apprentice of the year, Jenny Westworth, a brilliant engineer, but we have a scheme with Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and others to promote women in engineering. This is something that I feel passionately about and we will do yet more.
Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire) (Con)
This week, I met two hugely impressive female engineering apprentices from the company MBDA, which achieves a 50% intake of female engineering apprentices. That shows that it can be done. Does my hon. Friend agree that one of the best ways of achieving that is for businesses to engage with schools as part of an effective design and technology curriculum?
Matthew Hancock
I agree entirely. That demonstrates the effort that is being made. Indeed, the Secretary of State met the female engineers my hon. Friend talked about. The number of apprentices in engineering and manufacturing has gone up by more than half in the past two and a half years. [Interruption.] The “Oohs” and “Aahs” of Labour Members only reflect their disappointment at being such failures themselves.
Pat Glass (North West Durham) (Lab)
The Minister’s Department found recently that one in five apprentices receives no training whatever. That is worrying for apprentices and damaging to the brand. What action is the Minister taking to address that?
Matthew Hancock
The gathering of that evidence started in 2008. It is shocking that that happened under the previous Administration, and we have stopped it.
Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green) (Con)
6. What assessment he has made of national apprenticeship week 2013.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills (Matthew Hancock)
National apprenticeship week last week was a triumph. Tens of thousands of new apprenticeship places were announced; there was double the coverage of last year; and the message went out loud and clear from this House and beyond that apprenticeships deliver.
Mike Freer
I am grateful to the Minister for that answer. Last week I had an apprenticeships fair. Does the Minister agree that the National Apprenticeship Service does a wonderful job in supporting MPs, private organisations and charities in boosting apprenticeships in this country?
Matthew Hancock
I commend the National Apprenticeship Service for its work, and I know there were more than 400 local residents and 22 employers at my hon. Friend’s job fair. I have my own jobs fair tomorrow, and national apprenticeship week next year will take place on 3-7 March. I hope that all hon. Members will get involved.
Kate Green (Stretford and Urmston) (Lab)
Businesses in my constituency report difficulty in recruiting apprentices in electrical, mechanical and control engineering. What can the Minister do to develop a pipeline of such apprentices?
Matthew Hancock
We have made it clear that we expect a new norm for school leavers to go either into apprenticeships or to university. On average, 10 people apply for every apprenticeship vacancy. There is huge enthusiasm, but much more that we can do.
Ann McKechin (Glasgow North) (Lab)
Further to the question from my hon. Friend the Member for Wirral South (Alison McGovern), surely the Government should adopt a comprehensive strategy to tackle gender segregation, just as they have—rightly—supported the Davies report on senior women on company boards.
Matthew Hancock
A comprehensive strategy is about ensuring that we support women as well as men who want to do apprenticeships, and that is exactly what we are doing.
Tristram Hunt (Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Lab)
7. What recent assessment he has made of manufacturing activity and future capacity in that sector.
Dan Jarvis (Barnsley Central) (Lab)
10. What his policy is on vocational education routes; and if he will make a statement.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills (Matthew Hancock)
We are reforming vocational education to be more rigorous and responsive. We will introduce a TechBacc to recognise high-value technical education. We are strengthening further education colleges and, through the Richard reforms, strengthening apprenticeships, so that university or an apprenticeship becomes the new norm for school leavers.
Dan Jarvis
I thank the Minister for his response. He may not be aware that a number of major public and private sector employers in Barnsley recently signed a pledge to have 2.5% of their work force as apprenticeships. However, with the number of young people aged 16 to 18 starting apprenticeships falling, can the Minister learn anything from the innovative approach taken in my constituency?
Matthew Hancock
Yes, I am sure I can learn an awful lot from such an approach. It sounds terrific and I would like to hear more.
Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)
My constituency experience is that many young people and their families find it very difficult to understand exactly the qualification routes in vocational education and how young people might plug in later to more academic careers or whatever. Will the Minister consider simplifying the system to ensure much greater clarity for those interested in following such careers?
Matthew Hancock
That is an important point. The TechBacc aims to do precisely what the right hon. Gentleman suggests, alongside making apprenticeships the new norm. We want to make clear the progression routes that people can take to get into the career that they want. I am happy to look at any other steps we can take, but simplification is the order of the day.
Mr Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South) (Lab)
Does the Minister realise that success in vocational education is a game of two halves? We will get the expansion in quality apprenticeships we need only if he has prepared the ground, which means proper support for vocational education in schools, on which the Government are failing. The latest research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development shows that parents remain doubtful. Therefore, in his second day job as a Minister in the Department for Education, will he restore key stage 4 work experience and dedicated funding for face-to-face guidance, for which half the people surveyed by the CIPD and the employers I speak to are crying out?
Matthew Hancock
We are introducing work experience as part of the study programmes in sixth forms and for 16 to 18-year-olds. The new duty on schools to provide independent and impartial advice is an important step we have taken from this summer.
Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)
11. What support his Department is providing to encourage investment and growth in north and north-east Lincolnshire authority areas.
Sir Bob Russell (Colchester) (LD)
T2. Thank you, Mr Speaker; I followed the instructions on the Order Paper, which said, “from 10.15”. Timing is always important. What are the coalition Government doing to promote apprenticeships in manufacturing industries? If the Minister would like good examples, I can draw his attention to Paxman in my constituency—MAN Diesel and Turbo—and Fläkt Woods, among whose apprentices is Kallum Parks, who last month was presented with the Essex apprentice of the year award for 2012.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Skills (Matthew Hancock)
I have just announced to the House that national apprenticeship week next year will from 3 to 7 March. I commend Fläkt Woods for the work it does and the apprenticeships it teaches. The number of apprenticeships in Colchester over the last couple of years has more than doubled, so clearly my hon. Friend’s efforts are making progress.
Mr Chuka Umunna (Streatham) (Lab)
Last year this Government presided over a double-dip recession. The Office for Budget Responsibility has just halved its forecast for what growth will be on the Government’s watch this year, so the situation is urgent. Yesterday the Government announced a number of measures that the Secretary of State says will help—the employment allowance for employers in respect of national insurance, an increase in capital spending by £3 billion a year and the establishment of Lord Heseltine’s single local growth fund. Which of these measures will help struggling businesses in 2013?