Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Apprenticeship Levy: Trends

Monday 11 March 2024 · 3 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

  • Sixty-five percent of all apprenticeship starts so far this year have been at levels 2 and 3.
  • Level 3 apprenticeships account for 43% of all starts, making it the most popular level.
  • Labour members noted a significant drop in level 2 apprenticeship starts since 2012-13.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Toby Perkins Lab Chesterfield
Education
Context

The question follows concerns over the decline in apprenticeship starts, particularly at level 2 and 3, since the introduction of the apprenticeship levy.

Question

What assessment she has made of trends in the number of level 2 and 3 apprenticeship starts since the apprenticeship levy was introduced?

Answer from Robert Halfon

Sixty-five per cent of all apprenticeship starts so far this year have been at levels 2 and 3, with level 3 remaining the most popular level, accounting for 43% of all starts. Over 360 apprenticeship standards are at levels 2 and 3, covering more than half of all apprenticeships.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The decline in level 2 apprenticeship starts was not addressed specifically.

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Q2 Toby Perkins Lab Chesterfield
Employment
Context

Following concerns over the decline in apprenticeships, particularly at level 2 since 2012-13 and with small and medium-sized enterprises, the questioner challenges the minister to explain why young people are now half as likely to be on an SME apprenticeship than when the levy was introduced.

Question

I can understand why the Minister does not refer to the trends, because he knows that level 2 apprenticeships are way down. The Government's reforms have seen level 2 apprenticeship starts fall by two thirds since 2012-13, and the number of people employed on an apprenticeship with a small and medium-sized enterprise has fallen by 49% since the levy's introduction. Why does he think that young people are now half as likely to be on an SME apprenticeship than they were when the levy was introduced?

Answer from Robert Halfon

I hugely respect the hon. Gentleman. I know he is a bruiser, but I had been looking forward to his question. I thought he would celebrate the 13,000 apprentices in Chesterfield since May 2010, the 11,270 apprentices at levels 2 and 3, or the £19.5 million investment in Chesterfield College.

Not addressed: The minister did not address the decline in SME apprenticeships.

How: Changed Subject To Positive Statistics Unrelated To The Question.

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Q3 Seema Malhotra Labour (Co-op) Feltham and Heston
Education Employment
Context

Concerns over the reduction of opportunities for young people to enter apprenticeships, especially at age 16-18 and those from poorer backgrounds, are highlighted. The questioner references research showing a significant drop in apprenticeship starts by those from less privileged backgrounds since the levy was introduced.

Question

It is not just that level 2 and 3 apprenticeship starts have plummeted by over 50% since the levy was introduced, but that 16 to 18-year-old apprenticeship starts are down by 41%. Research by the Sutton Trust and the London School of Economics further shows that, by 2020, the proportion of apprenticeship starts by those from poorer backgrounds had dropped significantly. Is it not now painfully clear that the biggest barrier to opportunity is this Tory Government?

Answer from Robert Halfon

As always, Labour Front Benchers are obsessed with quantity over quality. We have transformed the quality of apprenticeships. Seventy per cent of occupations are covered by over 680 apprenticeship standards. There has been a 6% increase since this time last year in the number of under-19 starts, and overall starts are up by 3% over the same period.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner's concern about barriers to opportunity was not directly addressed.

How: Focused On Quality Improvements Rather Than Addressing Quantity Decline.

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