Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the demand for further education from adults resident in (a) Worcestershire and (b) Herefordshire.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
In 2019/20 there were 14,330 adult (19+) learners participating in further education and skills (including apprenticeships) in Worcestershire and 4,340 in Herefordshire.
It is for providers in local areas, including Worcestershire and Herefordshire, to determine the demand for provision from both learners and employers in their areas and tailor provision to meet those demands.
They do this by working with employers, other providers, and organisations such as Worcestershire and the Marches Local Enterprise Partnerships and their Skills Advisory Panels, which help to better understand, identify, and address skills challenges at a local level across England.
As we address the challenges presented by COVID-19 and prepare to seize the opportunities offered up by leaving the European Union, it is vital that we support adults, including those working in sectors directly affected by COVID-19, to attain the skills that will be needed in the economy of the future.
Starting this year, the government is investing £2.5 billion (£3 billion when including Barnett funding for devolved administrations) in the National Skills Fund. This is a significant investment and has the potential to deliver new opportunities to generations of adults who may have been previously left behind.
My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced £375 million for the National Skills Fund at the Spending Review in November 2020. This includes £95 million funding for a new level 3 adult offer and £43 million for Skills Bootcamps. Investment in skills through the National Skills Fund is vital, ensuring adults have the opportunity to progress into higher wage employment and to support those who need to retrain at different points throughout their lives.
From April 2021, we will be supporting any adult aged 24 and over who wants to achieve their first full level 3 qualification – equivalent to two A levels, or an advanced technical certificate or diploma – to access nearly 400 fully funded courses.
Complementing the Level 3 adult offer, the Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with a local employer. Skills Bootcamps have the potential to transform the skills landscape for adults and employers.
The government plans to consult on the National Skills Fund in spring 2021 to ensure that we develop a fund that helps adults learn valuable skills and prepares them for the economy of the future.
We are also continuing to invest in education and skills training for adults through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) (£1.34bn in 2020/21). The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to support adults to gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the provision of vocational training in West Worcestershire.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Local authorities have a critical role to play in ensuring adequacy of provision and support for young people to access and participate in education and training. Their responsibilities and duties relating to participation are set out in the published statutory guidance for local authorities, which is available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/561546/Participation-of-young-people-in-education-employment-or-training.pdf. Specifically, the guidance states:
“To secure sufficient suitable education and training provision for all young people in their area who are over compulsory school age but under 19 or aged 19 to 25 and for whom an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan is maintained. This is a duty under the Education Act 1996. To fulfil this, local authorities need to have a strategic overview of the provision available in their area and to identify and resolve gaps in provision.”
Where local authorities feel that there is a specific gap in provision that cannot be addressed by existing providers, there is a process by which this can be brought to the attention of the Education and Skills Funding Agency for consideration and action as appropriate.
The population of West Worcestershire aged 16-24 is approximately 4300 (NOMIS population data June 2020). Around 445 learners completed an apprenticeship programme in 2019 to 2020. Many of these students study locally, including at the Heart of Worcestershire College campus in Malvern which specialises in vocational provision such as brickwork, carpentry and painting and decorating.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of educational provision for young people aged 16 to 24 years in West Worcestershire.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
Local authorities have a critical role to play in ensuring adequacy of provision and support for young people to access and participate in education and training. The offer available for 16-24 year olds in West Worcestershire includes:
In addition to the schools providing 16-18 delivery in West Worcestershire, a number of further education and sixth-form college academies, including Heart of Worcestershire College, Warwickshire College Group, and Worcester Sixth Form College offer provision in a reasonable travel to learn area.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of planning for T-level provision for students in West Worcestershire.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The first T levels were introduced in September 2020 and these are part of a managed roll-out that continues over the next 3 years. We have selected a relatively small number of high performing providers for the initial roll-out to ensure high quality from the very start. We are working closely with these providers on their implementation planning to ensure readiness for delivery. Heart of Worcestershire College is one of 64 providers planning to deliver T levels from 2021 and will offer T levels in Digital and Education & Childcare to students in Worcestershire. As the roll-out continues and coverage widens, we will work to ensure that T levels are more widely available in all areas, including West Worcestershire.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the number of young people aged 16 to 24 years who are pursuing an apprenticeship in (a) West Worcestershire and (b) England.
Answered by Gillian Keegan
The table below shows the number of learners aged 16 to 24, participating on apprenticeships in the West Worcestershire Parliamentary Constituency, and England, from the 2017/18 to 2019/20 academic years:
Area | Age | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 |
West Worcestershire | Under 19 | 270 | 240 | 220 |
19-24 | 400 | 360 | 360 | |
Total | 670 | 600 | 580 | |
England | Under 19 | 176,550 | 160,960 | 135,570 |
19-24 | 273,600 | 256,310 | 250,870 | |
Total | 450,150 | 417,270 | 386,440 |
To note: