Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what annual financial allowances they provide to apprentices in the manufacturing sector.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
In the 2021-22 financial year funding available for investment in apprenticeships in England is almost £2.5 billion, double what was spent in the 2010-11 financial year. Employers of all sizes can access funding for apprenticeship training and assessment. There is no ring-fenced annual apprenticeship budget for any individual sector, such as the manufacturing sector.
Employers in all sectors are able to choose which apprenticeships they offer, and when, in order to meet their skills needs. There are over 140 high-quality employer-designed apprenticeship standards in the engineering and manufacturing sector available for employers to use, including the level 3 print technician standard and the level 5 food and drink engineer standard. In the 2019/20 academic year, there were 52,000 apprenticeship starts in the engineering and manufacturing technologies sector.
To help employers in all sectors to offer new apprenticeships, employers can claim a £3,000 incentive payment for each apprentice they take on as a new employee until 30 September, as part of the government’s Plan for Jobs. This is paid in addition to the funding available to employers for training and assessing apprentices, and the extra payments we already make to support employers and providers meet the needs of the youngest apprentices and those with an Education, Health and Care Plan. Individual employers can choose how to spend the incentive payment to support their apprentices, including meeting any of the costs associated with supporting a new apprentice in the workplace, such as uniforms or travel costs.
Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase the effectiveness of careers advice in secondary schools.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
We are continually reviewing the effectiveness of careers policy. We are aware that information on education or training options provided by schools at key transition points too often fails to correct, or even reinforces, the impression that technical education, including apprenticeships, is somehow second-best to academic study.
Through the ‘Baker Clause’, introduced in January 2018, all maintained schools and academies must publish a policy statement setting out opportunities for providers of technical education courses and apprenticeships to visit schools to talk to all year 8 to year 13 pupils, and to make sure that the policy is followed.
A January 2019 report by the Institute for Public Policy Research found that, whilst one in three schools say the situation improved in the year since the Baker Clause was introduced, only 40% of schools were complying with the Baker Clause.
In the Skills for Jobs White Paper, the department announced plans to go further to improve compliance with the Baker Clause through the introduction of a 3-point-plan. This is an important step towards real choice for every pupil. We will create clear minimum legal requirements, specifying who is to be given access to which pupils and when. We will take tougher formal action to enforce compliance. The government’s investment in careers will be conditional on Baker Clause compliance.
Through the work of the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC), we are increasing young people’s exposure to the world of work and supporting schools and colleges to achieve the Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance. As set out in the Skills for Jobs White Paper, we will continue the national roll-out of Careers Hubs, digital support, Careers Leader training and the Enterprise Adviser Network to all secondary schools in England. This will continue to accelerate the progress of all schools and colleges towards achieving the Gatsby Benchmarks so that all young people are equipped to make informed career and learning decisions.
We have also committed in the Skills for Jobs White Paper to take steps to improve both local and national alignment between the CEC and the National Careers Service to create a clear, all-age careers system. Professor Sir John Holman has been appointed as Independent Strategic Adviser on Careers Guidance and will advise on closer alignment of the National Careers Service and the CEC, based around 4 important principles:
The department is working closely with Professor Sir John Holman, the National Careers Service and CEC to agree what further action that can be taken across all 4 principles to make sure that young people and adults have access to a joined-up careers offer across their lifetime.
Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many current apprentices are (1) female, and (2) male.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
In the first two quarters of the 2020/21 academic year, reported to date, there were a total of 575,900 apprentices participating.
In the first two quarters of the 2015/16 academic year, there were 708,900 participating apprentices reported at the equivalent point that year. Finalised full year figures show there were 899,400 participating on an apprenticeship in the 2015/16 academic year.
In the first two quarters of the 2020/21 academic year, reported to date, there has been 269,200 female and 306,700 male apprentices participating.
Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprentices were in training in (1) 2015–16, and (2) 2020–21.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
In the first two quarters of the 2020/21 academic year, reported to date, there were a total of 575,900 apprentices participating.
In the first two quarters of the 2015/16 academic year, there were 708,900 participating apprentices reported at the equivalent point that year. Finalised full year figures show there were 899,400 participating on an apprenticeship in the 2015/16 academic year.
In the first two quarters of the 2020/21 academic year, reported to date, there has been 269,200 female and 306,700 male apprentices participating.
Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprentices there were in training in British airports in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, and (3) 2020; and how many of those apprentices were (a) female, and (b) male.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department has published information on apprenticeship starts by broad industry sector between the academic years 2012/13 and 2019/20.
Apprenticeship starts relating to aerospace technology are not currently published separately, however they are most likely to be included in sector H: Transportation and Storage.
The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts by gender in the transportation and storage industry in the academic years 2017/18 to 2019/20.
| 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 |
Total matched apprenticeship starts | 364,840 | 366,170 | 301,410 |
Total Sector H: Transportation and Storage | 9,080 | 11,140 | 9,450 |
Male | 6,620 | 7,640 | 6,460 |
Female | 2,470 | 3,500 | 2,990 |
Regarding the number of apprentices in training in British airports, this information is not held centrally. For further information on apprenticeship starts by sector subject area or geographical location, the ‘Apprenticeships and traineeships: January 2021’ publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-january-2021.The data in the table above relates to apprenticeship starts where a match has been found between the Department for Education’s Individualised Learner Record and the Office for National Statistics Inter-Departmental Business Register. This match allows information about apprentices to be linked to business information relating to the apprentice’s employer. In the academic years 2017/18 to 2019/20, 93% of all apprenticeship starts were matched to an employer.
Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many apprenticeships there were in the aerospace industry in (1) 2018, (2) 2019, and (3) 2020; and how many of those apprentices were (a) female, and (b) male.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department has published information on apprenticeship starts by broad industry sector between the academic years 2012/13 and 2019/20.
Apprenticeship starts relating to aerospace technology are not currently published separately, however they are most likely to be included in sector H: Transportation and Storage.
The following table shows the number of apprenticeship starts by gender in the transportation and storage industry in the academic years 2017/18 to 2019/20.
| 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 |
Total matched apprenticeship starts | 364,840 | 366,170 | 301,410 |
Total Sector H: Transportation and Storage | 9,080 | 11,140 | 9,450 |
Male | 6,620 | 7,640 | 6,460 |
Female | 2,470 | 3,500 | 2,990 |
Regarding the number of apprentices in training in British airports, this information is not held centrally. For further information on apprenticeship starts by sector subject area or geographical location, the ‘Apprenticeships and traineeships: January 2021’ publication is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeships-and-traineeships-january-2021.The data in the table above relates to apprenticeship starts where a match has been found between the Department for Education’s Individualised Learner Record and the Office for National Statistics Inter-Departmental Business Register. This match allows information about apprentices to be linked to business information relating to the apprentice’s employer. In the academic years 2017/18 to 2019/20, 93% of all apprenticeship starts were matched to an employer.
Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) students, (2) teachers, and (3) other staff, at (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, and (c) further education institutions, have been reported as having COVID-19 since 31 January 2020.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
The department collects data on the number of pupils who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 on a daily basis. This data is published from this collection at both national and local authority levels as part of the official statistics series. The publication can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak. Data is published from 9 September 2020, but prior to 12 October 2020 information on pupils who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19 was not comprehensively collected. This data is collected at school level, not pupil level.
As part of the publication, ‘Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (Covid 19) outbreak’, staff COVID-related absence data has been included in today’s release.
This data is as reported directly by schools via the department’s daily education settings survey. It is not the primary source of data on infection, incidence and COVID-19 cases overall. Further detail on this, from data owned elsewhere in government such as by Public Health England, can be found within the coronavirus in the UK dashboard: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/?_ga=2.91108568.335840232.1603021384-1347302696.1578321854, national COVID-19 surveillance reports: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports, and coronavirus infection survey pilot statistics: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/coronaviruscovid19infectionsurveypilot/16october2020.
ONS has published results from the first round of the COVID-19 Schools Infections Survey (SIS), covering 3 November – 19 November, investigating prevalence levels among primary and secondary school students and staff. The SIS survey link presents a summary of estimates, with further data contained in the associated dataset. Comparisons between groups should be done with caution because of the small sample size. Results can be found here: https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/covid19schoolsinfectionsurveyround1englandnovember2020.
Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to enhance the teaching of foreign languages in England.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
We are improving the teaching of foreign languages through our £4.8 million MFL Pedagogy Pilot, which commenced in December 2018. It is managed by the newly appointed MFL Centre for Excellence and is run through nine school-led hubs, to strengthen languages teaching at key stages 3 and 4 and to improve take up and attainment in the subject.
Recruiting and retaining excellent languages teachers is also a priority for this government. This is why we are offering tax-free bursaries of £26,000 for languages trainees with a 2:2 degree or higher starting their teacher training in 2020/21. Languages teachers will also receive three early-career payments totalling £6,000 spread across years 2, 3 and 4 of teaching. Those teaching languages in 39 local authority areas we have identified as having high need for teachers will receive higher payments totalling £9,000.
The department is also offering prestigious scholarships to those starting their teacher training in 2020/21 in languages. These scholarships are delivered in partnership with the British Council and successful scholars will receive a tax-free bursary of £28,000, as well as the same early-career payments as those who receive a bursary. All successful scholars will also receive a package of support provided by the professional bodies including free membership, resources and early career support.
These targeted initiatives form part of our wider strategy to recruit and retain teachers. The impact of commitments in the strategy - such as the Early Career Framework and plans to raise starting salaries to £30,000 by 2022/23 - will be felt by teachers of all subjects, including languages.
In terms of wider support for languages study, the English Baccalaureate performance measure, which includes languages, has seen the proportion of GCSE entries from pupils in state-funded schools in a modern foreign language (MFL) increase from 40% in 2010 to 47% in 2019. The reformed national curriculum now makes it compulsory for pupils in maintained schools to be taught a foreign language in key stage 2.
Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of apprenticeships that were undertaken in the construction industry in 2015.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The number of apprenticeships starts in the Construction, Planning and the Built Environment Sector Subject Area were 21,460 in the 2015/16 academic year and 21,210 in the 2016/17 academic year.
Asked by: Lord Jones (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of apprenticeships being undertaken in the construction industry.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The number of apprenticeships starts in the Construction, Planning and the Built Environment Sector Subject Area were 21,460 in the 2015/16 academic year and 21,210 in the 2016/17 academic year.