Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to increase the number of apprenticeship starts in her Department.

As of January 2025, 6.9% of staff in the department are currently on an apprenticeship, which is above our target of 5%. To maintain and build on this, we continue to take the following steps:

• All Administrative Officer (AO) and Executive Officer (EO) recruitment is considered for a Level 4 Business Administration apprenticeship, ensuring that new entrants have the opportunity to develop their skills through apprenticeship routes.
• We participate annually in the Government Economic Service Degree Apprenticeship Programme (GESDAP) and actively advertise this opportunity across the department to encourage uptake.
• We continue to offer a wide variety of apprenticeships in areas such as finance, management, and data science, ensuring a broad range of opportunities for staff to develop their skills and progress their careers.
• Subject to a new approach to Apprenticeships which we anticipate from Skills England, we plan to review our current offering to focus on how we use a range of Apprenticeships to attract candidates and develop the skills of the future.

Through these measures, the department remains committed to supporting staff development and increasing apprenticeship opportunities.