Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support routes into vocational education pathways for people over the age of 22.

The government supports learners through technical education, including apprenticeships and Skills Bootcamps. We are transforming the apprenticeships offer into a new growth and skills offer, which will provide greater flexibility to employers and learners and support the industrial strategy.

From August, the department is reducing the apprenticeship minimum duration to eight months. This will enable learners to achieve occupational competence more quickly.

We have confirmed £136 million for Skills Bootcamps across a range of priority sectors in 2025/26 to fund training for over 40,000 learners.

In the 2025/26 academic year, the government will invest around £1.4 billion in the Adult Skills Fund (ASF), including the Free Courses for Jobs Offer. This provides eligible adults with access to high value level 3 qualifications to improve job prospects and earnings.

Currently 62% of the ASF is devolved to nine Mayoral Strategic Authorities and the Greater London Authority who can decide how to make best use of the ASF to meet their local needs.

From September 2026, learners can apply for funding from the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), a new student finance system for courses and modules starting from January 2027. The LLE will help adults upskill or retrain, at a time that is right for them, such as those returning from career breaks.