Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken to encourage more students to study STEM degrees.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Overall numbers of students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are rising. The share of students studying science subjects at English Higher Education providers has increased from 41% in 2010/11 to 45% in 2016/17.
Despite rising STEM student numbers, we are far from complacent and we know that employer groups continue to point to an unmet demand for higher level STEM skills. This issue seems to be particularly acute in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, engineering, science and technology. We are therefore implementing a number of initiatives across government to increase the numbers of STEM graduates. For example:
Effective careers guidance and advice is also key to supporting young people to undertake learning in areas that will give them the skills employers are looking for. The government’s careers strategy sets out a long-term plan to build a world class careers system to achieve this ambition. We are increasing the information available to students to ensure they can make informed choices about what and where to study.
As set out in the Industrial Strategy White Paper, the Skills Advisory Panels (SAPs) programme aims to ensure that the local provision of skills, and the delivery of skills policy in local areas, meets and responds to changing employer needs. SAPs analysis will inform Local Industrial Strategies and local post-16 skills provision, so that skills provision better meets labour market needs.
Degree apprenticeships also allow universities to build partnerships with businesses and employers and to work together to create a skilled workforce. Employers are working in partnership with universities and professional bodies to meet the high-level technical skills that employers and our economy need to prosper.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the level of (a) female and (b) BAME representation in top university positions.
Answered by Chris Skidmore
Diversity and equality in higher education is a priority for this government. Higher education institutions are independent bodies and responsible for decisions about who they employ. Like every employer they must ensure they meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
Important progress has been made on the number of women in leadership roles in higher education, particularly in the increase in the proportion of female Chairs of Governing Bodies and female Vice-Chancellors. Sector-led gender initiatives, such as the Athena SWAN Charter and the Aurora development scheme, demonstrate the importance the sector attaches to tackling the barriers that hinder women’s progression in higher education careers.
On 1 February, the government announced measures to tackle ethnic disparities in higher education including encouraging higher education providers to make use of tools such as the Race at Work Charter and the Race Equality Charter to drive forward a step-change in the recruitment and progression of ethnic minority employees.
The government has also consulted on ethnicity pay reporting in order to inform future government policy.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the number of companies who have transferred the apprenticeship levy in London.
Answered by Anne Milton
As at 31 January 2019, there were 200 commitments in England entered into the apprenticeship service, where the transfer of funds between apprenticeship service accounts has been approved (a commitment is where a potential apprentice, who is expected to go on to start an apprenticeship, has been recorded with the Apprenticeship Service). Of these transferred commitments as at 31 January 2019, there were 130 transferred commitments that had materialised into apprenticeship starts. More information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/apprenticeship-and-levy-statistics-february-2019.
Information on companies transferring apprenticeship levy funds in each region of England is not held centrally. Many levy-paying employers are headquartered in one region but operate across the country meaning that we cannot attribute levy-funds transferred in individual locations. Individual employers have control of the expenditure (and transfer) of apprenticeship levy funds based on their current and future skills needs.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2019 to Question 204600 on Teachers: Pay, what advice his Department received on the decision to award the teachers’ pay grant to maintained schools and academies and not sixth form colleges.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Ministers received detailed advice from officials before announcing the Teachers’ Pay Grant. Unions and other representative organisations also contacted the Department.
The Teachers’ Pay Grant was introduced in response to changes to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), following recommendations from the School Teachers’ Review Body. This document applies to maintained schools, and as many academies choose to follow it, the grant was available to both maintained schools and academies.
There are 16-19 maintained schools which must follow the STPCD. These were included in the pay grant, alongside equivalent academies.
Further education (FE) and sixth form colleges have a different legal status and relationship to Government. They are private institutions, independent of Government, and it is for employers to agree pay structures, based on local needs. The Department is considering carefully the needs of FE colleges, including in relation to funding, in preparation for the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 9 January 2019 to Question 204600 on Teachers: Pay, what representations his Department received on the decision to award the teachers’ pay grant to maintained schools and academies but not sixth form colleges.
Answered by Nick Gibb
Since the Teachers’ Pay Grant methodology was published in September 2018, the Department has been contacted by representative organisations, unions, individual colleges, Members of Parliament, and members of the public. These have mainly been through correspondence, but also some meetings with officials and ministers.
Further education (FE) and sixth form colleges have a different legal status and relationship to government when compared with schools. They are private institutions, independent of government, and it is for individual employers to agree pay structures, based on local needs. The Department is carefully considering the needs of FE providers, including in relation to funding, in preparation for the next Spending Review.