Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on improving skills training in Sefton Central constituency.

The department regularly discusses skills matters with other government departments, including the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, but not specifically about individual constituencies.

The department is investing £3.8 billion more in further education (FE) and skills over the Parliamentary session to ensure people nationwide, including in Sefton, have access to the skills they need to build a fulfilling careers in jobs the economy needs.

Funding has been boosted by an extra £1.6 billion for 16-19 education in the 2024/25 academic year, compared with 2021/22. This is the biggest increase in 16-19 funding in a decade, and will help to fund the additional students anticipated in the system, 40 extra hours per student, and an affordable increase in funding rates per 16-19 student.

This additional funding will help providers such as Hugh Baird College in South Sefton, which is a very strong general FE college, focused on technical education that engages employers locally to co-design their curriculum and offer opportunities for learners in the Sefton area.

Hugh Baird College is also delivering T levels, which are new qualifications for 16 to 18-year-olds that have been developed with employers to ensure that young people will have the skills they need to get good jobs. It is currently delivering Digital, Education and Health and Science T levels. Other colleges in the surrounding area are also delivering T levels.

The department is increasing investment in apprenticeships to £2.7 billion by 2024/25 and supporting employers in all sectors and all areas of the country, including Sefton, to use apprenticeships to develop the skilled workforces they need. Since May 2010, there have been a total of 32,990 apprenticeship starts in Sefton local authority.

There is also the introduction of the Free Courses for Jobs scheme. This enables adult learners without a level 3 qualification (or learners with any qualification level but earning below the National Living Wage) to gain a qualification for free.

In addition, the department has also introduced Skills Bootcamps, which are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with an employer. Skills Bootcamps are being delivered in digital, green, HGV driving, and rail and engineering across Liverpool City Region through the combined authority. These will target skills gaps and shortages highlighted by local employers for local people.

Investment in education and skills training for adults is continuing through the Adult Education Budget (AEB) at £1.34 billion in the 2021/22 academic year. The AEB fully funds or co-funds skills provision for eligible adults aged 19 and above from pre-entry to level 3, to help them gain the skills they need for work, an apprenticeship or further learning.

Currently, approximately 60% of the AEB is devolved to nine Mayoral Combined Authorities and the Mayor of London. This includes Liverpool City region which covers Sefton. This gives Liverpool City Region direct control over adult education provision for their residents and provides the local area with the opportunity to meet local needs.