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 …
Government response. 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.
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 …
Government response. 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 …
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 …
Government response. 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.
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)
Government response. 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.
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 …
Government response. 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.
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)
Government response. 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 …
Department for Transport