Skip to main content

Apprenticeships

Volume 531: debated on Thursday 14 July 2011

11. How many people in (a) Stafford constituency, (b) the west midlands and (c) England have started an apprenticeship in 2011. (66027)

In the first three quarters of this academic year, there have been 570 apprenticeships started in the Stafford constituency, 38,350 started in the west midlands, and 326,700 started in England.

I thank the Secretary of State for his response, and I congratulate him, and the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, who is not in his place, on their achievements in delivering such strong growth in apprenticeships. Quality is also important. Will the Secretary of State share with the House the steps that his Department will take to monitor the quality of apprenticeships, and the career progression of apprentices once they complete them?

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right that quality is important as well as quantity, but it is important that the quality assurance is proportionate and does not result in excessive bureaucracy. The best evidence that apprenticeships give value for money is in the results. Typically, employers get payback in three years. An intermediate level of skill, level 2, results in, I think, £73,000 more over a lifetime. A level 3 qualification produces £105,000 added income over a lifetime, and the Government get £40 back for every £1 that they spend on apprenticeships.

On the future of apprentices, has the Secretary of State yet had a chance to look at the new report from the all-party parliamentary motor group about an industry that supports 700,000 jobs and contributes £1 billion towards research and development? One of the conclusions of the report, to which Ministers in the Department have contributed through discussion, is about the skills gap in the automotive industry. The Secretary of State has referred to the skills gap in engineering before; what practical steps can he take to ensure that the issue is addressed?

The hon. Gentleman is right in the premise of his question; the automotive industry is enormously important. As he knows, some very welcome investment is taking place in the west midlands, the north-east, Luton and elsewhere. Indeed, I have been to Japan, Detroit and elsewhere to encourage that investment. He is right also that potential investors stress the need for skills. A great deal of investment is now taking place; specifically, there are the 10,000 places for advanced apprenticeships, which will be directed specifically to small and medium-sized enterprises in the supply chain of industries such as the vehicle industry.