Select committee: Transport Committee
Conclusion 2
5th Report - Engine for growth: securing skills for transport manufacturing
Published 28 Jan 2026
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Skills for transport manufacturing All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Government’s legislation on the provision of bus and rail services, and policies promoting transition to EVs and fuel innovation in aerospace, provide once-in-a-generation opportunities for production and employment. Delivering on these opportunities will require the Department of Transport to mobilise the essential contributions of other Government departments and to capitalise on the Government’s industrial strategy. The UK has the talent to develop and deliver what is needed for the internal market and for export abroad, but the Government must be intentional about nurturing, supporting and further cultivating that talent, not least to meet the rising challenges of transitioning to cleaner technologies. (Conclusion, Paragraph 22)
From: Transport Committee, 5th Report - Engine for growth: securing skills for transport manufacturing (HC 1223), 28 January 2026
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 5 May 2026 (deadline 28 March 2026).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government agrees with the Committee on several aims, such as keeping occupational standards current and strengthening careers guidance, but does not accept key funding and reporting recommendations on the levy.
- On levy funding, the government says capital projects are ineligible for apprenticeship funding and "there are no current plans to change this". From August 2026 the expiry window for levy funds reduces from 24 months to 12 months.
- On level 7 apprenticeships, it "has no plans to re-introduce levy funding" in the Industrial Strategy sectors, citing a priority on young people.
- On modular or part-time training and diversity reporting, it agrees on the importance of opportunities for people with caring responsibilities but does "not consider that these specific recommendations are the right way" to achieve this. It has no plans to make levy funding contingent on diversity.
- It agrees it is essential for occupational standards to remain current, but prefers a targeted review model to revisions at fixed intervals. It says Skills England will update standards "as needed".