This week I asked the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills about the £600 million levy returned to the Treasury due to the drop of apprenticeship starts this year.
Given the skills shortages affecting our economy, it would make sense to let businesses in my constituency and elsewhere utilise at least some of that returned money for relevant but non-apprenticeship training designed to alleviate the skills gap. I was disappointed by the Minister’s answer, who was instead referring to the previous year’s figures and denying there has been an underspend. Latest Government data reports a 4.1% drop in apprenticeship starts, compared to 2021-22.
Please see the video below of our exchange👇 I shall be following this up with a Parliamentary Question, asking how much of the £750 million to which he referred in his answer has gone to services in Birmingham.
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