wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_103
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-01-17)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-01-17 conversation_103

James McMurdock:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote alternatives to university to young people. \p Janet Daby: The government is developing a comprehensive strategy for post‐16 education and skills, to break down barriers to opportunity, support the development of a skilled workforce, and drive economic growth through our Industrial Strategy.

We have established Skills England to ensure we have the highly trained workforce needed to deliver the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade. It will ensure that the skills system is clear and navigable for individuals, for both young people and older adults, strengthening careers pathways into jobs across the economy.

The department will support the aspiration of every person who meets the requirements and wants to go to university, regardless of their background, where they live and their personal circumstances. However, all young people must have a genuine choice of high-quality further or higher education pathways, or in-work training including apprenticeships, so that young people can follow that pathway that is right for them.

Firstly, the department is promoting apprenticeships which offer a range of high-quality options for young people, with over 700 apprenticeship standards approved for delivery. We actively promote apprenticeships in schools and colleges through our Apprenticeships Support and Knowledge Programme (ASK). Through it, we increase awareness of apprenticeships and Higher Technical Qualifications amongst students in years 10-13, parents, carers, teachers and careers advisers. During the 2023/24 academic year, ASK engaged with 2,366 schools and colleges. The ASK sessions reached over 575,000 students.

In addition, the department is developing new foundation apprenticeships to give more young people a foot in the door at the start of their working lives whilst supporting the pipeline of new talent that employers will need to drive economic growth.

Secondly, the department is introducing a Youth Guarantee, as part of the measures set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper. This will ensure that all young people aged 18-21 in England can access quality training, educational opportunities or help to find work. The Youth Guarantee will involve working closely with Mayoral Authorities, and building on existing provision and entitlements, to test new ways of supporting young people into employment or training. To do this we will mobilise eight place-based Youth Guarantee trailblazers with £45 million of funding in 2025/26.

Thirdly, the department continues to raise awareness amongst young people of alternative options to university, starting from a young age. Secondary schools have legal requirements to provide independent careers guidance and to provide at least six opportunities for providers of technical education or apprenticeships to speak to all pupils. Our government-funded network of Careers Hubs, coordinated by The Careers and Enterprise Company, supports schools and colleges to maximise these opportunities.

The Skills for Life website also sets out the wide range of education and training options available for young people.

Together, these steps ensure that we continue to support all young people to either go to university, or to access high-quality apprenticeships, further education opportunities, and support to find work, depending on the path that is right for them.