Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to page 4 of the Social Mobility Commission report Time for Change, published on 28 June 2017, for what reasons more older than younger workers have obtained apprenticeships.

Tackling social mobility is at the heart of the government’s ambition to make Britain a country that works for everyone. As part of this, we are committed to ensuring that high quality apprenticeships are accessible to people of all ages and from all backgrounds.

Apprenticeships are paid jobs with training and can be used to train and upskill existing employees as well as a means of recruiting new staff.

It is important that people of all ages and backgrounds are able to achieve the long term benefits associated with completing an apprenticeship in terms of increased wages and career progression.

We are providing additional funding to support young people and those from disadvantaged areas to access apprenticeships, recognising where the costs of supporting an apprentice are higher. This includes additional payments for both employers and training providers when they take on 16 to 18 year olds or 19 to 24 year olds who were in care or who have an Education, Health and Care Plan, and cash payments to providers for training individuals from the top 27% of deprived areas.

Our ‘Get In Go Far’ campaign aims to inspire more young people to take on an apprenticeship, and more employers to offer them.