Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to help increase engagement between employers and further education colleges.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The department wants providers to continue to offer high-quality, relevant provision and to build upon the already fantastic work they do in partnership with local employers. The coming decade will see substantial economic change and as the economy changes, so will the skills needs of learners and employers. The department recognises that this will play out in different ways across the country and that is why the department introduced Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) to support local innovation and growth so that every part of the country can succeed in its own unique way.
The department is delighted that across all areas of England, employer-led LSIPs have already helped engage thousands of local businesses and have brought them together with local providers and stakeholders to collaboratively agree and deliver actions to address local skills needs. By building locally owned LSIPs from the ground up, the department is reshaping the skills system to better support people to train for, and succeed in, their local labour market.
The department welcomes the excellent engagement currently taking place between the designated employer representative bodies (ERBs) leading the LSIPs and local providers of technical education and training. It has meant that in summer 2023, all 38 areas of England published a plan, which was approved by the Secretary of State for Education, setting out local skills priorities and actions across the next three years. Moving forward, the ERBs leading the implementation and review of the LSIPs are continuing to work closely with local providers and stakeholders to deliver the priority actions set out in the LSIPs. Indeed, each ERB will provide a public annual progress report in June 2024 and 2025 setting out progress made since publication of the LSIPs.
LSIPs are working alongside the department’s wider reforms to further education (FE) funding and accountability, enabling a step change in how FE provision meets local skills needs. To help ensure the success of the programme, and as part of this government’s commitment to continue to invest significantly into FE, the department provided a dedicated £165 million Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) to support providers to work collaboratively to respond to the needs identified in the LSIPs.
Provider projects the department is funding through the LSIF include training to plug key skills gaps in digital, net zero and green, construction, artificial intelligence and health and social care, all of which were identified as priorities by employers through the LSIPs.
Together, LSIPS and the LSIF are galvanising and bringing employers and providers closer together to spread opportunity for young people, skills for businesses and growth for all areas of this country.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps she has taken to ensure careers advisors have knowledge of level 4 and 5 qualifications.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The National Careers Service (NCS) provides free, up to date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills and the Labour Market in England. It helps customers make informed choices about their career and learning options, whatever their age, ethnic group and background.
Over 760 careers advisers support customers to be:
The department has commissioned the Career Development Institute (CDI) to develop a bespoke Continuing Professional Development programme for careers advisers. In addition, the department regularly disseminates key information and updates via bulletins and newsletters to careers advisers in the community to ensure they have up to date information, including changes to the NCS website.
The Careers and Enterprise Company has developed case studies which showcase the affordable and successful delivery of the personal guidance. Through investing in Careers Leaders, the department is supporting schools to become better commissioners of careers professionals. The CDI is doing excellent work to put in place programmes to train and upskill careers professionals, including a new focus on digital skills.
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation has agreed funding for a new three-year programme to be delivered by the CDI to raise the profile of technical education among careers advisers working in schools and colleges across England. Careers advisers play a key role in helping young people define their career goals, understand their own strengths and development needs and decide on the right pathway to gain the skills needed to reach their goals. This new programme will raise careers advisers’ awareness and understanding of technical education pathways so they can confidently discuss them as options for the young people they work with.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure Education Investment Areas are meeting their targets of (a) helping 90% of pupils meet the expected standard in (i) reading, (ii) writing and (iii) maths combined at key stage 2 and (b) increasing the GCSE average grade at key stage 4 in English language and maths from 4.5 to 5.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In all 55 Education Investment Areas, the department is taking steps to support underperforming schools to make necessary improvements, build trust capacity and improve digital connectivity, with the purpose of helping 90% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 2, and increasing the GCSE average grade at key stage 4 in English language and mathematics from 4.5 to 5 by 2030. This includes access to up to £86 million in Trust Capacity Funding to support strong multi-academy trusts to expand into these areas, up to £200 million to upgrade schools that fall below the department’s Wi-Fi connectivity standards, and an extra £3000 after tax per year to mathematics, physics, chemistry and computing teachers working in disadvantaged schools.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many standards the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has retired in the last two years; and for what reason those standards were retired.
Answered by Robert Halfon
This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to the Honourable Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education Route Panel members are SMEs.
Answered by Robert Halfon
This is a matter for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. I have asked its Chief Executive, Jennifer Coupland, to write to the Honourable Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much has been spent on marketing for (a) Institutes of Technology, (b) T Levels and (c) Higher Technical Qualifications in each year since 2017.
Answered by Robert Halfon
From January 2022, the department has moved away from delivering individual campaigns for each policy product and started delivery of joined up, audience-led campaigns under the banner of Skills for Life, which covers T Levels, Institutes of Technology, Higher Technical Qualifications and others.
Up to and including the 2020/21 financial year, there was a T Level specific marketing campaign with incurred costs of £400,000 in the 2018/19 financial year, £2,667,975 in the 2019/20 financial year and £4,109,207 in the 2020/21 financial year.
The Skills for Life campaign is ongoing. The overall spend for 2023/24 was £12,085,527, as detailed in my response to 7043 on 8 January 2024, which is available at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-12-14/7043. For the 2021/22 financial year the overall spend was £4,092,000. In the 2022/23 financial year overall spend was £12,400,000.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department will place details of the projects funded by the Local Skills Improvement Fund in the Library of the House of Commons.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department has published information about the local skills improvement fund (LSIF) awards that have been made to further education colleges and training providers in each area of England, as well as the sectors that the funding will support. The LSIF awards for 2023 to 2025 are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-skills-improvement-fund-lsif-lead-providers-2023-to-2025/lead-applicants-for-lsif-by-region.
There are no plans to place details of the individual projects funded by the LSIF in the House Library. Where up to date project-specific information is required, it is recommended that contact is made with the lead applicant for the area, whose name is published on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much her Department (a) paid in apprenticeship levy fees and (b) spent from its apprenticeship levy funds between September 2021 and August 2023.
Answered by Robert Halfon
Between 1 September 2021 and 31 August 2023, the department’s levy declarations, including the 10% government top-up and as shown in its apprenticeship service account, was £4 million. In the same period, the department’s levy spend was £4.1 million.
The funds in apprenticeship service accounts are available for levy-paying employers to draw on for 24 months before they expire on a rolling, month-by-month basis.
This spend covers the costs of apprenticeship training and assessment and levy transfers to other employers. It excludes any additional payments made to employers, providers, and apprentices, such as the care leaver’s bursary.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of (a) public and (b) employer awareness of higher technical (i) education and (ii) qualifications.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department has published the following data on awareness of Level 4 and 5 qualifications and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs):
Introducing HTQs is central to the department’s drive to increase the profile, prestige, and uptake of higher technical education. HTQs were first available for teaching from September 2022 and are now offered by over 140 providers across the country in construction and build, digital, and health and science occupations. In the 2023/24 academic year, over 140 qualifications were available. More HTQs will be available to study from September 2024.
The department is promoting HTQs as part of the Skills for Life cross-government communications and engagement campaign for young people, adults and employers. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the various skills offers, help them to decide which one is right for them (or their workforce) and increase take-up.
The department is working with stakeholders, including the National Careers Service, Careers & Enterprise Company and UCAS, to improve the support that is available to young people and adults. The department is also working with employers and professional bodies to improve their recognition of HTQs.
Finally, the department is supporting providers to increase their HTQ provision and to promote it effectively and widely. The department has announced investment of around £115 million in funding to providers to support higher technical education provision.
Asked by: Seema Malhotra (Labour (Co-op) - Feltham and Heston)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of apprentices completed their endpoint assessment (a) on the date of, (b) one to three months after, (c) three to six months after and (d) more than six months after completing their apprenticeship in each academic year since 2016-17.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The attached table shows achievers, rounded to the nearest 100, on apprenticeship standards in each academic year since 2019/20. Data is unavailable for the preceding years as the achievement date was not collected as part of the department’s individual learner records prior to the 2019/20 academic year.
To note, achievements totals may not match published standards achievements totals as the attached table does not include those where an invalid achievement date was entered.