Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that employers offer apprenticeships to disadvantaged young people.

The Department has established a new advisory group to help address barriers and increase diversity within apprenticeships. We also reflect the additional needs of disadvantaged young people through the apprenticeship funding system by extending the fully funded rate currently applicable to 16 – 18 year olds to 16 – 24 year olds, where an appropriate assessment has been made. We plan to continue this support under the reforms with employers being entitled to receive the 16 – 18 recruitment payment.

The Skills Funding Agency’s National Apprenticeship Service has also developed a Toolkit encouraging and helping employers to recruit and support disabled young people.

We have also introduced traineeships to support young people who are not work-ready to be able to compete for apprenticeships by providing work preparation training; a substantial high quality work placement; and English and maths for those that have not achieved at Level 2.