Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Vocational Training: Under-19s

Monday 20 October 2025 · 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 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial Questions on Vocational Training for Under-19s were held on 2025-10-20
  • The Minister disagreed with the previous Government's approach to funding vocational training centres
  • Mr Calvin Bailey highlighted that 2,800 young people in his constituency are not in education, employment or training despite having STEM skills

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Matt Vickers Con Stockton West
Education Employment
Context

The MP referenced a new vocational training centre in Stockton funded by the last Conservative Government. He cited the opportunity for young people to gain skills and jobs.

Question

Using funding delivered by the last Conservative Government, work is under way to deliver an incredible, brand new, purpose-built vocational training centre for the Neta Training Group in Stockton. It will offer youngsters the chance to get great skills and jobs. Does the Minister agree that we should be capping any debt-trap degree courses that fail to deliver employment opportunities and instead increasing the apprenticeship budget—maybe even doubling it—to give young people career-focused routes to success?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)

This is where I think the last Government got it wrong. We can be pro-further education, pro-technical education and pro-higher education; there is absolutely no need to trade them off against one another. Under this Government, we have 120,000 new training opportunities, up to 30,000 foundation apprenticeship starts and an unprecedented £3 billion being invested in apprenticeships. It is great that the hon. Member and his constituents in Stockton are benefiting from that.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The Minister did not directly address the specific ask to cap debt-trap degree courses or double the apprenticeship budget, but instead emphasized the government's support for vocational education generally.

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Q2 Calvin Bailey Lab Leyton and Wanstead
Education Employment
Context

The MP mentioned meeting Centrepoint representatives who highlighted that some 2,800 young people in his constituency are not in education, employment or training despite having STEM skills. The challenge is connecting these individuals with opportunities.

Question

Last week, I met representatives of Centrepoint. They highlighted that some 2,800 young people in my constituency are not in education, employment or training, despite having extensive STEM skills and a real drive to participate in that part of the economy. Connecting those young people with existing opportunities is a major challenge, and I would like to hear how such opportunities are being created through the exciting propositions of technical colleges and, perhaps, V-levels. What work is being done to ensure that those things are accessible to young people in constituencies such as mine?

Answer from The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education (Josh MacAlister)

My hon. Friend is right to highlight this issue. A million young people in this country are not in education, employment or training, which is a moral stain that the Government are absolutely committed to doing everything they can to address. The future of our skills system sits right at the heart of that effort, and I encourage my hon. Friend to be in the Chamber for the statement later today to hear what the Government’s further plans are.

Not addressed: The Minister did not provide specific details on how young people with STEM skills can access opportunities via technical colleges or V-levels, but instead redirected attention to a future government statement.

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