Stephen Timms – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Timms on 2016-09-12.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that every apprenticeship includes formal training.

Robert Halfon

Apprenticeships are paid jobs which should always involve substantial and sustained training including off-the-job training inspected by Ofsted, have a minimum 12 months’ duration and develop transferable skills including in English and maths. As an employee, apprentices earn as they learn and gain practical skills in the workplace leading to full competency in an occupation to enable them to progress their career. Our reforms are improving the quality of all apprenticeships.

The programme is underpinned by statutory standards to ensure that all apprenticeships offer substantial on- and off-the-job guided learning leading to the achievement of recognised qualifications where appropriate to the apprenticeship undertaken.