Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions his Department has had with stakeholders on the availability of apprenticeship schemes for 16-24 year olds in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East.

This government wants to rebalance the programme back towards young people beginning their careers.

In August we introduced new foundation apprenticeships, which are jobs with training that give young people a route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage while developing vital skills. This new offer will help more young people learn high-quality skills at work and fuel innovation in businesses across the country, including in the North-East.

The department recently ran a workshop with the North-East Combined Authority, exploring how employers and providers in the region could access foundation apprenticeships.