Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Civil Service Apprenticeship Targets

Thursday 27 May 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Robert Halfon asked about recent discussions on civil service apprenticeship targets.
  • The Minister confirmed discussions with stakeholders to improve apprenticeship numbers in the civil service.
  • Halfon suggested all new civil service recruits should be offered apprenticeships and that government contracts include a minimum 5% apprenticeship requirement.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Robert Halfon Con
Employment
Context

No specific incident or statistic mentioned, but the question aims to inquire about discussions on increasing apprenticeship targets within the civil service.

Question

What recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on apprenticeship targets for the civil service.

Answer from Michael Gove

I have been having lots of discussions with relevant stakeholders on apprenticeship targets. We must do much better on getting more apprentices into the civil service.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitments or concrete actions regarding apprenticeship targets were not provided.

How: We Must Do Much Better

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Q2 Robert Halfon Con
Employment
Context

Building on the initial question, this supplementary question focuses on specific proposals for ensuring apprenticeship schemes are included in new hires and government contracts.

Question

Will my right hon. Friend consider ensuring that all new recruits to the civil service are offered apprenticeships? Will he also make certain that, unless there are specific related reasons, all Government sector employment contracts have at least 5% of employees as apprenticeships before they are offered any contract by Government?

Answer from Michael Gove

My right hon. Friend makes a very important point. We are currently reviewing, as part of preparation for new procurement legislation, exactly how we can ensure that there is a higher proportion of apprenticeships in contracts that Government allocate as well as making sure that the civil service extends the use of apprenticeship schemes, of which he has been such an effective champion.

Partly answered

Not addressed: No specific commitment or timeline for implementing the proposed policy was given.

How: We Are Currently Reviewing

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