Tag: Gordon Marsden

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 13325, how many mathematics enhancement programmes his Department offered people in the further education sector in each year from 2010-11 to 2014-15; and how many such programmes he estimates his Department will offer in 2015-16.

Nick Boles

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) began offering bursaries to graduates to train to teach maths in the academic year 2013/14. 61 and 136 people took up such bursaries in 2013/14 and 2014/15, respectively. It is estimated that 167 maths bursaries will be taken up in 2015/16.

The maths enhancement is a joint BIS/Department for Education supported programme and commenced in the academic year 2013/14. During 2013/14 and 2014/15 over 2,450 existing further education teachers participated in the maths programmes. During 2015/16 we are continuing to support access to a pipeline programme to enhance the maths skills of existing teachers. This is being delivered by the Education and Training Foundation. We have not made an estimate of the number of programmes that will be taken up in 2015/16.

Emerging findings from the evaluation of the further education (FE) workforce programmes have shown a positive impact on the confidence and effectiveness of FE teachers delivering maths either as a core subject or in vocational context. The evidential basis for intervention in maths teaching was based on the clear need to raise the Maths attainment rates of students in further education; and improve the quality of Maths teaching as identified by Ofsted inspection reports.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2015-12-01.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many area reviews of further education there are which (a) have been completed, (b) are scheduled but have not yet begun, (c) are currently underway and (d) are currently underway and have met at least four times.

Nick Boles

The first wave of area reviews began between September and November 2015.

No area reviews have yet been completed. Each review will take approximately three to four months to complete, taking local needs into account. We expect all reviews to be completed by March 2017.

The second wave of area reviews is due to begin in 2016. We have recently published details of the second wave, along with indicative information on later stages. Reviews covering Greater London are yet to be confirmed and will be announced shortly. We expect there to be around 40 reviews in total.

There are seven first wave area reviews currently underway. These are in Birmingham and Solihull, Greater Manchester, Sheffield City Region, Tees Valley, Sussex, Solent, and West Yorkshire. None of the first seven area reviews have met four times.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-01-20.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what discussions officials in his Department have had with officials of the Department for Work and Pensions on JobCentre Plus involvement in the Find An Apprentice Service.

Nick Boles

The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) is working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). A live link from the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ service provides real time apprenticeship vacancies each day to the Jobcentre Plus Universal Jobmatch vacancy website. This ensures that clients who are in receipt of benefits have easy access to information about apprenticeship vacancies.

In addition, the SFA is working with DWP to train work coaches in job centres so that they have up to date information on apprenticeships to share with clients. The SFA is also ensuring that DWP employer teams have the information needed on apprenticeships to promote these as part of their conversations with businesses.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether his Department has regulations in place to limit top-sliced management fees for European Social Fund funding by lead contractors to sub-contractors.

Anna Soubry

Management fees are a matter between lead contractors and sub-contractors. For European Social Fund (ESF) contracts procured by the Skills Funding Agency, the ESF and 2015/2016 match funding rules state that “You must publish your supply-chain fees and charges policy on your website before entering into any subcontracting agreements for the 2015 to 2016 funding year.” This must include the typical percentage range of fees a contractor retains to manage subcontractors, and how this range is calculated.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-02-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, when his Department plans to publish a response to his Department’s consultation, A dual mandate for adult vocational education, which closed in June 2015.

Nick Boles

The Dual Mandate for adult vocational education was published by the previous Government. Since the election of the new Government there have been a number of significant developments including: the commitment to 3 million apprenticeship starts between 2015 and 2020; the announcement of a levy to fund apprenticeships; the new Institute of Apprenticeships; the commission to Lord Sainsbury to review routes to employment; devolution of adult education funding and responsibilities to combined authorities; commitment to Institutes of Technology; the launch of area reviews; a spending review which has protected adult education from further cuts.

Taken together these amount to a sea change in the Government approach to Professional and Technical Education and associated landscape. We have used the responses to the Dual Mandate to shape our thinking and will continue to do so.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-03-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, whether Equivalent or Lower Level Qualifications are exempted under (a) degree and (b) Masters level apprenticeships.

Nick Boles

There are no centrally set entry requirements for apprenticeships; recruitment decisions lie with employers. As with any other job, they may set their own entry requirements for a specific apprenticeship vacancy at any level.

Apprenticeship funding supports individuals to progress to higher levels of learning. A graduate who has completed a degree is not usually eligible for funding to complete an apprenticeship at Level 6 (degree), but would be eligible for funding to progress to an apprenticeship at Level 7 (Masters). A graduate with a Master’s degree would not normally be eligible for funding for an apprenticeship.

The only exception to this is where the apprentice starts a new job role which is in a different occupation requiring a significant amount of new learning to take place, delivered over the minimum duration for the standard. In this case the apprentice would be eligible for funding for an apprenticeship at the same level, but no lower than, their current highest qualification.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-04-25.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to maintain the apprenticeship levy rate of 0.5 per cent on employers’ pay bills over £3 million until 2020.

Greg Hands

The government has confirmed that the apprenticeship levy will be set at a rate of 0.5% of company paybill and every employer will have a £15,000 allowance to offset against their levy liability. In practice, this means only employers with paybills greater than £3million will pay the levy.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many existing staff from the Skills Funding Agency it is planned will be transferred to the new Institute for Apprenticeships.

Nick Boles

The final size and structure of the Institute for Apprenticeships will be determined in due course. No decisions have yet been made about its structure or staffing.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-06-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of apprenticeship pay rates for young people in supported accommodation.

Nick Boles

The Department has not made any assessment of the pay rates for this specific group.

We are increasing the National Minimum Wage for people on apprenticeships by 3.0 per cent to £3.40 per hour in October 2016. Most apprentices receive more than the minimum; the median basic hourly pay rate is £6.31 for Level 2 and 3, and £9.68 for Level 4 and 5 Higher Apprentices.

The Apprenticeship National Minimum Wage applies equally to all apprentices (for the first year if aged 19 – then the appropriate NMW for age applies). For younger workers, the priority in those first years is to secure work and gain experience – something that is already reflected in the National Minimum Wage rate structure.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gordon Marsden on 2016-09-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the proportionate level of effect of her Department’s proposals for changes in apprenticeship funding, published on 12 August 2016, on (a) small employers, (b) young people in deprived areas and (c) apprenticeships offered in the service and tourism sectors.

Robert Halfon

Apprenticeships are a great way to progress in work and life and a great way for employers to improve the skills base of their businesses. They work for people of all ages and backgrounds and can transform lives.

We have engaged thousands of employers and training providers throughout the development of the apprenticeship funding reforms and continue to do so. This engagement helped to shape the funding policy proposals for England from May 2017, published on 12 August.

A survey seeking detailed views from employers and providers closed on 5 September, and the feedback will inform the final policy which we aim to publish in October, and our understanding of the potential impact.

Our proposed funding policy is designed to put employers of all sizes in more control, and supports individuals from all backgrounds and regions – it is not aimed at specific sectors or apprentices in deprived areas as our polices are aimed at everyone, including those groups.

Our proposals for how apprenticeships will be paid for in England in the future will simplify the current complex funding system by introducing a single funding band for individual apprenticeship framework pathways, putting them in line with apprenticeship standards, regardless of the age of the learner or geographic location.