Department for Education condemned for missing apprenticeships target - Phillipson

Monday, 7 February 2022 00:01

Labour has today [Monday] condemned the failure of the Department for Education to meet the government’s own target for creating apprenticeships, as the Party calls for Ministers to secure training opportunities for young people. Labour analysis shows 60% of government departments are falling short on their own apprenticeships policy, with Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson MP, warning that under the Conservatives education and training opportunities are in...Request free trial

Labour analysis shows 60% of government departments are falling short on their own apprenticeships policy, with Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson MP, warning that under the Conservatives education and training opportunities are in freefall, contributing to ongoing skills shortages.

Over the last decade apprenticeship starts have fallen by nearly 200,000 with particular declines among young people under 24. To tackle this shortage of opportunities, Labour has pledged to create new opportunities for young people to earn and learn with support for employers to take on 100,000 new 16 – 24 year old apprentices this year.

In contrast to Labour’s plans, the Department for Education took on just 142 apprentices last year, out of a workforce of over 7,000, falling far short of hitting their own target for public sector organisations to take on new apprentices.

Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Education said:

“Apprenticeship starts have plummeted over the last decade, led by a government which cannot even deliver on their own target.

“Labour is working with employers, educators and training providers to deliver the skills our country needs to prosper. The Government should have adopted Labour’s plan for a wage subsidy delivering 100,000 new apprenticeship starts this year, and ensure every young person is leaving education ready for work and ready for life.

“Instead, Ministers are failing to create opportunities in their own Department and secure the skills our country needs. The Education Secretary needs to get a grip and show some leadership.”

Ends

Notes to editors

In 2017 the Government set the target for public sector bodies with 250 or more staff in England to employ an average of at least 2.3% of their staff as new apprentice starts over the period of 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2021. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-sector-apprenticeship-target)

The DfE confirmed a one year extension to the target to March 2022 (FE Week)

Apprenticeships starts have declined by 199,200 – or 38% since 2011, including a 45% decline among under 24yr olds. (Apprenticeships and traineeships)

Only 3% of 16- and 17-year-olds took apprenticeships in 2020 and only 2% were in employer-funded training – both at their lowest levels since at least the 1980s. (IFS)

42% of departments have seen a decline in apprentices over the last two years with 60% of departments for which data is available have are still not meeting the public sector apprenticeships target of 2.3% (Gov.uk)

	2019/20			2020/21
Main department	Actual Starts^1,2	Headcount in England³	Starts as a % of Headcount^1,2	Actual Starts^1,2	Headcount in England³	Starts as a % of Headcount^1,2	Change in actual starts between 2019/20 and 2020/21
Attorney General’s Departments	147	8,460	1.7%	278	8,760	3.2%	131
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy	190	13,160	1.4%	225	13,860	1.6%	35
Cabinet Office	96	6,850	1.4%	187	7,910	2.4%	91
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport	19	1,170	1.6%	18	1,320	1.4%	- 1
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	89	9,070	1.0%	150	9,930	1.5%	61
Department for Education	200	6,690	3.0%	142	7,370	1.9%	- 58
Department for Transport	86	7,730	1.1%	182	7,970	2.3%	96
Department of Health and Social Care	105	8,360	1.3%	194	8,510	2.3%	89
Department for International Development⁴	-	1,330	0.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	#VALUE!
Department for International Trade	68	1,970	3.5%	78	2,460	3.2%	10
Department for Work and Pensions	1,285	70,260	1.8%	2,538	66,800	3.8%	1,253
Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office⁴	N/A	N/A	N/A	15	4,950	0.3%	#VALUE!
Foreign Commonwealth Office⁴	73	3,600	2.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A	#VALUE!
HM Revenue and Customs	3,034	52,600	5.8%	1,994	52,870	3.8%	- 1,040
HM Treasury	65	2,470	2.6%	84	2,600	3.2%	19
Home Office	318	30,270	1.1%	464	32,410	1.4%	146
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government	40	2,890	1.4%	15	3,150	0.5%	- 25
Ministry of Defence	711	45,560	1.6%	617	48,480	1.3%	- 94
Ministry of Justice	909	70,920	1.3%	558	71,490	0.8%	- 351
National Crime Agency	46	3,980	1.2%	54	4,290	1.3%	8
United Kingdom Statistics Authority	21	2,270	0.9%	15	2,420	0.6%	- 6
Other departments	73	6,550	1.1%	33	6,220	0.5%	- 40
Total	7,570	355,840	2.1%	7,841	363,470	2.2%

Labour pledges new opportunities for young people to earn and learn with plan to create 100,000 apprenticeships (Labour Press)

Labour would make sure every child leaves education ready for work and ready for life (Labour Press)