Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to encourage pupils to undertake courses in (a) construction and (b) social care skills.

High quality, careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) is key to helping young people make informed decisions about their future. The department funds person-centred and impartial careers information and advice across all employment sectors, including construction and social care.​

Through the Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC), the department funds Careers Hubs which lead partnerships including secondary schools, colleges, employers and strategic and local authorities to help young people connect to local skills and economic needs through a responsive careers education programme. ​CEC also works with sector bodies and employers to help them to engage effectively with schools and colleges.

The National Careers Service, a free, government-funded CIAG service uses a range of labour market information to guide individuals. The Service website provides access to various digital tools and resources which cover over 130 industry areas and more than 800 job profiles including a range of construction and social care roles.

The government has introduced measures to raise awareness, boost access, and improve the quality of training available in both the construction and healthcare sectors, including the ‘Next Generation’ campaign promoting technical education pathways inspiring pupils to pursue careers in sectors like construction and healthcare and a £625 million skills package for the construction sector.