Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial assistance is available to school leavers from low-income households undertaking short courses that are promoted by the Construction Industry Training Board.

The Construction Industry Training Board provides support for young people to access apprenticeships, and is involved in developing the Construction technical route, with the Design Surveying and Planning T level to be offered from September 2020. We believe that these substantive vocational qualifications rather than short courses are the best route to provide young people with the experience and skills needed to secure a career in the construction industry.

Apprentices are employed and earn a wage so do not require financial assistance. Data on the take-up of apprenticeships is included in the March 2019 apprenticeships and levy statistics available at the following link:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/789653/Apprenticeship-and-levy-statistics-Mar2019_.pdf.

​The CITB is currently investing over £20 million in piloting the Construction Skills Fund, a short course that is aimed at supporting non-traditional routes into construction (such as ex-offenders or the long-term unemployed), who we believe are most likely to benefit from this approach, which may then lead on to more substantive qualifications such as an apprenticeship.