Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Government has made in increasing BAME participation in apprenticeships in line with its BAME 2020 vision to increase participation by 20 per cent.

In 2016/17, 11.2 per cent of apprenticeship starts were from a black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) background. This is the highest reported over the past seven years, and considerably higher than the previous year of 10.5 per cent, but there is still more to do.

In February we launched a new partnership with five major cities in England, supported by city mayors, to make sure apprenticeships are accessible to individuals from all backgrounds.

Our Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network, now comprised of over 55 members, continues to influence the behaviour of other employers to support more people from underrepresented groups, including members of BAME communities, to access apprenticeships.

Statistics covering latest in-year data relating to apprenticeships can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/further-education-and-skills-march-2018.