Recommendations & Conclusions
6 items
3
Recommendation
5th Report - Engine for growth: securin…
Accepted
The Secretary of State for Transport should meet regularly with her counterparts in the Departments for Business and Trade, Education and Skills, Work and Pensions, Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Cabinet Office with a focus on how the British transport manufacturing sector can be best placed to make …
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The Secretary of State for Transport should meet regularly with her counterparts in the Departments for Business and Trade, Education and Skills, Work and Pensions, Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Cabinet Office with a focus on how the British transport manufacturing sector can be best placed to make the most of the opportunities presented by the Government’s legislation and policies on buses, rail and decarbonisation of transport, and on the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan. Where regional mayors exist, they should also be engaged. Both domestic procurement and global export opportunities should be on the agenda. We urge the Government to bring forward its response to the consultation on public procurement speedily and to go as far as possible towards supporting public procurement from British manufacturers. (Recommendation, Paragraph 23) 32 Apprenticeships: fit for the future?
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Government response AI summary
The Government highlights work with Skills England to ensure the offer meets business needs, delivers value for money and supports economic growth, and states they are launching the first eight apprenticeship units from April 2026, focussing on priority sectors.
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Department for Transport
4
Recommendation
5th Report - Engine for growth: securin…
Accepted
Substantial amounts of levy funding has expired unspent. Rather than further constraining the opportunities for spending such funding, the Government should increase flexibility. We welcome the Government’s Budget 2025 commitment to fully fund apprenticeships for eligible people under 25 at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, more should be done …
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Substantial amounts of levy funding has expired unspent. Rather than further constraining the opportunities for spending such funding, the Government should increase flexibility. We welcome the Government’s Budget 2025 commitment to fully fund apprenticeships for eligible people under 25 at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, more should be done to better ensure that levy funds reach SMEs and supply chain manufacturers in the transport manufacturing sector. The current restriction that levy funding can only be directly spent by manufacturers who operate across the UK on their operations in England is throttling opportunities for transport manufacturers which operate UK-wide to directly invest that funding in skills across their wider workforce. (Conclusion, Paragraph 34)
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Government response AI summary
The government will work with industry to ensure that Occupational Standards are updated as needed to reflect changing industry needs, and Skills England’s new accelerated approach will mean updates to apprenticeships or development of new short courses can be completed in as little as three …
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Department for Transport
5
Recommendation
5th Report - Engine for growth: securin…
Accepted
The Government should: • extend the expiry window for unspent levy funding to three years; • consult on allowing levy funding to be used on capital expenditure to support the provision of training and skills development (so long as that is not to the detriment of passing down that levy …
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The Government should: • extend the expiry window for unspent levy funding to three years; • consult on allowing levy funding to be used on capital expenditure to support the provision of training and skills development (so long as that is not to the detriment of passing down that levy funding for the benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises in the supply chain); • set out options for mechanisms for larger companies to use or pass down levy funding for the benefit of the small and medium-sized enterprises in their supply chains; and • consult on permitting levy funding to be directly spent anywhere in the UK by manufacturers with operations in other UK nations as well as England. (Recommendation, Paragraph 35 )
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Government response AI summary
The Government sets clear expectations for schools and colleges through strengthened statutory guidance, updated in spring 2025, and there is external accountability provided by Ofsted.
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Department for Transport
6
Conclusion
5th Report - Engine for growth: securin…
Accepted
We acknowledge that the Government is seeking to re-balance funding to prioritise people aged below 22. However, the removal of Government funding for level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 22 and older risks jeopardising the supply of experienced and highly skilled workers for the transport manufacturing sector. (Conclusion, Paragraph 41)
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We acknowledge that the Government is seeking to re-balance funding to prioritise people aged below 22. However, the removal of Government funding for level 7 apprenticeships for those aged 22 and older risks jeopardising the supply of experienced and highly skilled workers for the transport manufacturing sector. (Conclusion, Paragraph 41)
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Government response AI summary
The Government has now brought forward its response to the consultation on public procurement, published on 26th March 2026, and transport manufacturing is included within the definitions of Advanced Manufacturing in the Sector Plan.
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Department for Transport
11
Recommendation
5th Report - Engine for growth: securin…
Accepted
The Department for Transport should on at least an annual basis gather information from British transport manufacturers on how effectively the UK’s vocational training system is delivering a robust pipeline of skills, and report these findings to the Departments for Education and Work and Pensions to inform further development of …
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The Department for Transport should on at least an annual basis gather information from British transport manufacturers on how effectively the UK’s vocational training system is delivering a robust pipeline of skills, and report these findings to the Departments for Education and Work and Pensions to inform further development of vocational training pathways. (Recommendation, Paragraph 65)
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Government response AI summary
The Department for Transport will engage with employers, supported by Skills England, to continue to build this picture to inform the development of vocational training pathways and products.
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Department for Transport
15
Recommendation
5th Report - Engine for growth: securin…
Accepted
The Department for Transport should work with relevant government departments to strengthen accountability for careers advice and subject choices guidance in schools to ensure that pathways to careers in manufacturing are not disadvantaged. (Recommendation, Paragraph 74)
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The Department for Transport should work with relevant government departments to strengthen accountability for careers advice and subject choices guidance in schools to ensure that pathways to careers in manufacturing are not disadvantaged. (Recommendation, Paragraph 74)
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Government response AI summary
The government recognizes the importance of careers guidance in manufacturing and will continue to work closely across departments to ensure strong accountability for careers guidance and visibility of pathways into manufacturing, and DfT will proactively work with other departments to develop careers pathways that reflect …
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Department for Transport