Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase the number of apprentices in the maritime industry.

We are taking action to support the growth of apprenticeships in a broad range of sectors, including the maritime industry, to meet our commitment of 3 million starts in England by 2020 – working with large and small businesses to begin or expand their programmes, setting new expectations for public sector bodies and through public procurement.

The Institute for Apprenticeships is supporting employers to develop new apprenticeship standards. Specifically, they are supporting six employer groups which are developing standards in the following occupations: Port Operative, Workboat Crew Member, Able Seafarer (Deck), Maritime Caterer, Maritime Electrical / Mechanical Mechanic, Maritime Operations Officer, Engineering Technician (including four maritime related options) and Port Agent. Of these, three are approved for delivery and six are in development – further details of published standards and end point assessment plans can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/apprenticeship-standards.