Written Question
Monday 12th December 2022
Asked by:
Andrea Leadsom (Conservative - South Northamptonshire)
Question
to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure provision of skills-based employment training for employees aged over 60; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department is delivering several skills offers, such as Skills Bootcamps and Free Courses for Jobs, that can help upskill employed learners to access further opportunities. These are supported by an investment of £1.6 billion through the National Skills Fund across 2022 to 2025, which includes investment of up to £550 million to significantly expand Skills Bootcamps, and investment to expand the eligibility for delivery of the Free Courses for Jobs offer, which is now open to more adults.
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, available to adults in England, including employed learners aged 60 and over, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview on completion. There are now more than 900 Skills Bootcamps available across the country, offering training in digital, technical (including engineering and manufacturing), construction, logistics (HGV driving), and skills that support the green economy (including heat pump engineering, electric vehicle maintenance and repair, and zero carbon construction).
The department also funds Free Courses for Jobs offer of over 400 Level 3 qualifications in sector subject areas such as engineering, social care and accounting, for adults in England including employed learners aged 60 and over. Adults are eligible if they do not hold an existing full level 3 qualification, if they are unemployed, or if they earn under the National Living Wage.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 09 Mar 2022
National Tutoring Programme and Adult Education
"Does my right hon. Friend agree that one way to ensure that every baby has the chance of the best possible start in life is to ensure that all the services that support families are universal, and not in any way stigmatising?..."Andrea Leadsom - View Speech
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Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 22 Feb 2022
Kinship Care for Babies
"I beg to move,
That this House has considered kinship care for babies.
It is a pleasure to speak under your chairmanship today, Ms Fovargue. Parents come in all shapes and sizes, and today I want to touch on the role of kinship care, particularly for babies. Recently, a constituent …..."Andrea Leadsom - View Speech
View all Andrea Leadsom (Con - South Northamptonshire) contributions to the debate on: Kinship Care for Babies
Speech in Westminster Hall - Tue 22 Feb 2022
Kinship Care for Babies
"Thank you, Mr Mundell. I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Minister, who is incredibly supportive of the work on early years and who has done so much to support improving services for babies. It has been such a fantastic debate, and we have heard two fabulous stories. We …..."Andrea Leadsom - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 31 Jan 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"17. What plans he has to develop apprenticeship routes for the early years workforce. ..."Andrea Leadsom - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 31 Jan 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his commitment to making sure that every baby gets the best start to life. Does he agree that by creating more of a mixed-skill workforce we will be able to provide the continuity of care that every family wants when they have …..."Andrea Leadsom - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 01 Nov 2021
Oral Answers to Questions
"I am so grateful to my right hon. Friend and to our brilliant new children’s Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester (Will Quince), for their commitment to giving every baby the best start in life. Does my right hon. Friend agree that absolutely key to the success of …..."Andrea Leadsom - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 29 Jun 2021
Education Recovery
"It says on the Centre for Early Childhood website set up by the Royal Foundation:
“Advances in brain science have shown that early childhood—pregnancy to five—has implications for our development that go far beyond our physical abilities. In fact, this represents one of the best investments we can make for …..."Andrea Leadsom - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 29 Jun 2021
Education Recovery
"My right hon. Friend is exactly right: it all begins in the very earliest period of life. The later we leave it, all that happens is that we compound the problem more. Then we end up firefighting instead of preventing. Prevention is so much kinder and cheaper than cure.
To …..."Andrea Leadsom - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 07 Jun 2021
Education Recovery
"It is the beginning of Infant Mental Health Awareness Week, and I know my right hon. Friend is incredibly aware of how painful a time it has been for many new parents during the pandemic lockdown. For many, a real lifeline was the opportunity to zoom their health visitor and …..."Andrea Leadsom - View Speech
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