The Education Committee will question the leaders of Skills England about
progress with establishing the Government agency, which Ministers
hope will increase the take up of apprenticeships, tackle skills
shortages in key sectors and drive economic growth.
In a second panel, MPs will hear from expert witnesses from the
apprenticeship and skills sector about issues facing apprentices,
training providers, and employers.
The Chair, Vice Chair and CEOs of Skills England will first be
questioned about when the new body will be fully functional, and
concerns about the level of independence it will have from the
Department for Education (DfE). The establishment of Skills
England is subject to legislation
being passed, which would see it replace the Institute for
Apprenticeships and Technical Education.
In the last decade, the number of apprenticeship starts was
highest in 2015/16, at 509,000, compared with 340,000 in
2023/24.
There will be questions around how Skills England could promote a
“comprehensive suite” of apprenticeships and further education
courses to meet the skills needs of different sectors and
regions, and on progress that has been made in developing a wider
range of training options that employers can access using funds
from the forthcoming Growth and Skills
Levy. Following previous work by the Committee, MPs will also
be interested in how more employers can be encouraged to offer
placements as part of T Levels.
The second panel will answer questions on the fall in
apprenticeship participation, the removal of requirements for
adult apprentices to have GCSE maths and English, and the
Government's proposals not to include funding for Level 7
apprenticeships as part of the Growth and Skills
Levy.
The latter policy has been criticised by many in the sector, with
industry bodies saying removing MA and MSc-equivalent
apprenticeships will not necessarily lead employers to choose
lower level apprenticeships instead.
Witnesses from 10am
- Phil CBE, Chair at Skills England
- Sir , Vice Chair at Skills
England
- Sarah MacLean, joint CEO of Skills England
- Tessa Griffiths, joint CEO of Skills England.
From 11am
- Ben Rowland, Chief Executive, Association of Employment and
Learning Providers
- Dr Katerina Kolyva, Chief Executive, Education and Training
Foundation
- Emily Rock, Chief Executive, Association of Apprentices
- Jane Hadfield, Co-Chair, The St Martin's Group and National
Lead, Apprenticeships for NHS England
