Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what specific steps she has taken to increase the numbers of students studying (a) bricklaying, (b) joinery, (c) plastering, (d) civil engineering, (e) plumbing and (f) roofing.

To support more employers and learners to access apprenticeships the department is increasing funding in England to £2.7 billion by 2024/25. Employers have designed over 650 high-quality apprenticeship standards, across every sector, to support them to develop the skilled workforces they need. There are a range of apprenticeship standards available in these specific sectors such as:

• 26 in digital
• 3 in accountancy
• 2 in architecture
• 2 in quantity surveying
• 4 in civil engineering
• 1 each in aerospace engineering and electro-mechanical engineering
• 97 in construction and built environment sector
• 4 in horticulture
• 56 in creative and design
• 3 in broadcast and media
• 2 in tourism
• 3 in sports.

T Levels include one or more occupational specialisms to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed for a particular area. For example, students taking the Onsite Construction T Level can choose from specialisms in Bricklaying or Plastering, and the Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing T Level includes specialisms in Mechanical or Electrical engineering. Other T Levels available include Accounting, Engineering and Digital, with Craft and Design, Media, Broadcast and Production available from September.

The department has introduced Skills Bootcamps which offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills, with an offer of a job interview on completion. Skills Bootcamps around the country are available in many sectors covering digital, construction, arboriculture and agriculture, engineering, design for backstage theatre and many others.

We have also launched the Free Courses for Jobs offer which allows eligible adults to access over 400 Level 3 qualifications (A level equivalent) for free, in subject areas including engineering, construction, digital, health and social care and accounting.

In Higher Education (HE), the Strategic Priorities Grant is supporting teaching and students in HE, including expensive to deliver subjects, such as science and engineering. We are investing an additional £750 million over the next three years to support high quality teaching and facilities including in science and engineering. This includes the largest increase in government funding for the HE sector to support students and teaching in over a decade.

Careers education, information, advice and guidance is a crucial first step to supporting individuals to access excellent education and skills training. Driven nationally by the internationally recognised Gatsby Benchmarks, secondary schools and colleges are embedding career learning in the curriculum and providing young people with tailored advice and guidance, including more opportunities to learn about skills and apprenticeships. Through our National Careers Service digital offer and campaigns, such as Get the Jump and Skills for Life, we are bringing together information about education and training courses into one place for learners of all ages.