Today the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions) Bill will return to Parliament for its second reading.
I welcome any measure that will support technical education and break down barriers for young people to enter the world of work. I believe it is a huge positive that the Government is finally paying attention to the benefits of alternate routes to work, as this is the best way to meet our skills gap.
This Bill aims to streamline the skills agenda through bringing powers into the control of the Department of Education to oversee the design and approval of apprenticeship standards and qualifications. This would streamline the approval and review processes, making it easier to introduce new qualifications and adapt to emerging skills gaps more swiftly.
It shall also bring about the establishment of Skills England, a designated executive to manage the skills system. Having a more unified approach to skills development would allow for better coordination between different areas of education and industry. This could lead to more targeted and effective training, ensuring that apprenticeship frameworks are designed with input from key stakeholders with skin in the game. Working with businesses will be crucial to ensuring apprentices are best prepared for the job and will have mutual benefit for the sector.
My background is in technical education, so I know first hand the opportunities it can provide. I, therefore, back the Government’s ambition to support apprenticeships, streamline the sector, and enable young people to develop skills outside of a classroom.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 