Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether he is taking steps to increase the number of apprenticeships within his Department.

The Northern Ireland Office remains committed to supporting the use of apprenticeships to break down barriers to opportunity. This includes supporting the Government’s commitment to 2,000 digital apprenticeships through its TechTrack scheme by 2030 to improve digital skills and drive improvements and efficiency in public services.

As a department, the Northern Ireland Office annually recruits a Communication Apprentice through the Government Communications Service.