Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Education

Oral Answers to Questions

Julie Hilling Excerpts
Monday 24th March 2014

(10 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Matt Hancock Portrait Matthew Hancock
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I will. A very high proportion of those who go into apprenticeships, and STEM apprenticeships in particular, stay on in a job or continue into a higher-quality apprenticeship. That progression is one reason why apprenticeships are such a valued institution.

Julie Hilling Portrait Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)
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19. We know that girls and young women like to try before they buy. They therefore need practical experience of engineering before they will apply for it. Among other companies, MBDA in my constituency has a great programme through which it goes into schools and takes pupils on work experience placements. What is the Minister doing to ensure that every young person has a similar opportunity?

Matt Hancock Portrait Matthew Hancock
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I pay tribute to MBDA, which I visited to see its work on apprenticeships. The apprentice of the year was a young woman from MBDA. It does great work, but there is much more to be done so that all employers can engage in schools and colleges to show young people what they can do.