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Written Question
Apprentices
Monday 16th March 2026

Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the average duration to apprenticeship gateway and what was the maximum apprenticeship funding available in (1) 2015, (2) 2022, and (3) 2025 for the apprenticeship standards of (a) engineering operative, (b) maintenance and operations engineering technician, (c) engineering technician, (d) hairdressing professional, (e) advanced and creative hairdressing professional, (f) creative, hair and fashion director, and (g) hair, skin and scalp specialist.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Apprenticeship starts for individual apprenticeship standards are published in the Apprenticeships accredited official statistics publication:

Starts

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies

Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (ST0154)

1,080

1,510

1,900

2,050

2,220

Engineering Operative (ST0537)

1,090

1,460

1,500

1,800

1,850

Engineering Technician (ST0457)

5,040

5,660

6,030

5,490

4,120

Retail and Commercial Enterprise

Advanced and Creative Hair Professional (ST0214)

810

1,220

1,040

1,120

870

Hairdressing Professional (ST0213)

5,650

5,770

4,630

5,230

4,050

Starts

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

Total

Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician

30

910

1,020

1,090

Engineering Operative

no data

no data

140

480

Engineering Technician

600

3,080

4,310

4,770

Advanced and Creative Hair Professional

no data

no data

no data

30

Hair Professional

640

6,220

6,700

5,330

Please note that there were no apprenticeship starts on these standards prior to 2016/17. The Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) standard was previously named Hair Professional. No standards exist for (f) and (g).

The typical duration from apprenticeship start date to apprenticeship gateway and the maximum funding available for standards (a) to (e) are in the below table. This information is published at Apprenticeship search / Skills England.

Standard Name

Typical Duration (months)

Maximum funding 2022

Maximum funding 2025

Advanced and creative hair professional

12

£5,000

£5,000

Engineering operative

12

£6,000

£10,000

Engineering technician

42

£26,000

£26,000

Hairdressing professional

24

£7,000

£11,000

Maintenance and operations engineering technician

36

£26,000

£26,000

Please note that as the listed standards were not approved until after 2015, the maximum funding available for this year is not available.


Written Question
Apprentices
Monday 16th March 2026

Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people started apprenticeships in (1) 2015, (2) 2017, (3) 2022, and (4) 2024 in the apprenticeship standards of (a) engineering operative, (b) maintenance and operations engineering technician, (c) engineering technician, (d) hairdressing professional, (e) advanced and creative hairdressing professional, (f) creative, hair and fashion director, and (g) hair, skin and scalp specialist.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Apprenticeship starts for individual apprenticeship standards are published in the Apprenticeships accredited official statistics publication:

Starts

2020/21

2021/22

2022/23

2023/24

2024/25

Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies

Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician (ST0154)

1,080

1,510

1,900

2,050

2,220

Engineering Operative (ST0537)

1,090

1,460

1,500

1,800

1,850

Engineering Technician (ST0457)

5,040

5,660

6,030

5,490

4,120

Retail and Commercial Enterprise

Advanced and Creative Hair Professional (ST0214)

810

1,220

1,040

1,120

870

Hairdressing Professional (ST0213)

5,650

5,770

4,630

5,230

4,050

Starts

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

Total

Maintenance and Operations Engineering Technician

30

910

1,020

1,090

Engineering Operative

no data

no data

140

480

Engineering Technician

600

3,080

4,310

4,770

Advanced and Creative Hair Professional

no data

no data

no data

30

Hair Professional

640

6,220

6,700

5,330

Please note that there were no apprenticeship starts on these standards prior to 2016/17. The Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) standard was previously named Hair Professional. No standards exist for (f) and (g).

The typical duration from apprenticeship start date to apprenticeship gateway and the maximum funding available for standards (a) to (e) are in the below table. This information is published at Apprenticeship search / Skills England.

Standard Name

Typical Duration (months)

Maximum funding 2022

Maximum funding 2025

Advanced and creative hair professional

12

£5,000

£5,000

Engineering operative

12

£6,000

£10,000

Engineering technician

42

£26,000

£26,000

Hairdressing professional

24

£7,000

£11,000

Maintenance and operations engineering technician

36

£26,000

£26,000

Please note that as the listed standards were not approved until after 2015, the maximum funding available for this year is not available.


Written Question
Apprentices: Finance
Monday 5th January 2026

Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what was the apprenticeship budget for the Department for Education in 2024–25; what proportion of that budget was spent in total; and what proportion was spent on (1) training for apprenticeships with levy-paying employers, (2) training for apprenticeships with non-levy-paying employers, and (3) other activities.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

In the 2024-25 financial year, the English apprenticeships budget was fully spent.

The following table provides a breakdown of total spend for the 2024-25 financial year, including the proportion of total spend on training for apprenticeships with levy paying employers and training for apprenticeships with non-levy paying employers in England.

In addition, the table reflects the spend on apprenticeships that started prior to the introduction of the apprenticeships levy and new funding system, as well as non-apprenticeships participation spend, such as the cost of running digital services and marketing and communications campaigns.

Apprenticeships spend from the department’s apprenticeships budget

2024-25 financial year (£million)

Proportion of total spend (%)

Levy paying employers

1,979

71%

Non-levy paying employers

742

27%

Pre-reform apprenticeships

-1

0%

Non-apprenticeships training

49

2%

Total

2,769

100%


Written Question
Higher Technical Qualifications
Monday 10th November 2025

Asked by: Baroness Wolf of Dulwich (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether the procedures required for recognition as a Higher Technical Qualification have been changed, or are in line to be changed, as a result of (1) the creation of Skills England and the abolition of the Institute for Apprenticeship and Technical Education, and (2) the transfer of Skills England to the Department for Work and Pensions.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Following its creation, Skills England continues to accept Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) applications on a rolling basis. This function moved with Skills England when it transferred to be an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).