The Minister acknowledges that they inherited a £22 billion black hole and one in eight 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training. UK employers reported a third of vacancies due to skills shortages under the previous Government, with technical training at level 4 and 5 at only 4% of adults compared to Germany's 20% and Canada's 34%. The Minister stresses investment in people's future careers for change. National Apprenticeship Week promises to be the best yet, with more than 1,000 events across the country showcasing all that apprenticeships have to offer. Apprenticeship starts by young people under 25 fell by almost 40% between 2015-16 and 2023-24. We are committed to changing this and introducing new foundation apprenticeships in targeted, growing sectors. The apprenticeship minimum wage is being increased by 18%, from £6.40 to £7.55. Apprentices under the age of 25 who have been in local authority care can claim a bursary of £3,000 when they start an apprenticeship. We will continue to support care leavers and those aged under 19 or 19 to 24 if they have an education, health and care plan or have been in care with £1,000 payments to both employers and training providers. Apprentices aged up to 25 are exempt from paying towards employees’ national insurance when the employee’s wage is below £50,270 a year. We are promoting career starter apprenticeships through the Skills for Life campaign, targeting young people leaving full-time education. We will introduce shorter duration apprenticeships and focus on establishing a coherent skills system with more flexible training options to support employers in filling skill gaps.