Question

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they plan to create an apprenticeship scheme that focuses equally on increasing vocational on-the-job training and offering high quality study opportunities.

Over the next 5 years we will support 3 million new apprenticeships. We are developing a package of measures to achieve this growth by getting more employers to offer apprenticeships, so many more people can benefit from this valuable route to a great career. The Government is introducing a levy on larger UK employers to fund apprenticeship training. The levy will apply to larger employers and will support post-16 apprenticeships. Further details on the apprenticeships levy will be set out in theSpending Review.

Through our reforms, we are driving up the quality of apprenticeships to ensure that they fully meet employers’ needs and have substantial, stretching on- and off-the-job training with robust assessment procedures that ensure apprentices are fully competent in their occupation at the end of their training. We also insist that apprentices study English and maths to ensure they have the transferable skills needed to progress their career.