Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to increase BAME representation on apprenticeship schemes.

Apprenticeships benefit people of all ages and backgrounds and we want to ensure that more people from underrepresented backgrounds can undertake them, particularly those that offer higher wage returns and progression opportunities. We are pleased to have seen positive outcomes in the representation of black and minority ethnic (BAME) people in apprenticeships, with a particular increase in higher-level apprenticeship starts.

We have worked with some of the country’s most influential employers through our Apprenticeship Diversity Champions Network to promote best practice in recruiting and supporting apprentices from diverse backgrounds. We are building on this work to ensure that we continue to see improved representation of BAME people starting apprenticeships, especially in sectors that carry historic under-representation. We will work closely with these sectors to understand why this is the case, and to co-develop targeted solutions. We will also be working extensively with employers, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises, to understand what barriers they face in taking on apprentices and how they can improve the diversity profile of their apprentices.