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Select committee: Education Committee

The quality of apprenticeships and skills training inquiry

Closed Opened 12 Sep 2017 Closed 8 Oct 2019

Education Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗

Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
Read the report summary Read the report conclusions and recommendations Read the full report: The apprenticeships ladder of opportunity: quality not quantity Government Response: The apprenticeships ladder of opportunity: quality not quantity Government Response: The apprenticeships ladder of opportunity: quality not quantity (PDF 283 KB) The Committee considered the following issues: The quality of current provision, how this varies by sector, level and region, and the impact of this on learner outcomes; The effectiveness of the quality monitoring system, in particular the role and capacity of Ofsted; The role of the Education and Skills Funding Agency in ensuring value for money, and the impact of different funding models; Quality and oversight of training provided by subcontractors; and Quality of training received by the socially disadvantaged, and barriers to them undertaking this training.

Where it stands

The inquiry is closed, opened 12 September 2017.

The committee has published 1 report, most recently 6th Report - The apprenticeships ladder of opportunity: quality not quantity on 8 October 2018.

The government's response

Published 20 December 2018.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government welcomes the Committee's report and states that it agrees with many recommendations, while disagreeing on some, including treating degree apprenticeships as a strategic priority in isolation.

  • On Ofsted monitoring of new providers, it agrees on the importance of such visits but says visits within 12 months are "not manageable", and has agreed additional funding for visits "within 24 months", which it will keep under review.
  • On degree apprenticeships, it states: "we disagree that the growth of degree apprenticeships should be treated as a strategic priority in isolation", because the reforms are employer-led.
  • On funding bands and levy expiry, it says it "currently has no plans to change the limit" on the top funding band but "will keep funding bands under review"; it considers the extension of levy expiry from 18 to 24 months appropriate.
  • On subcontracting, it plans to publish its "final expectations by the end of December 2018", aiming to increase funding reaching front line delivery and transparency over fees.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error

Reports

All reports

Evidence

  • 6 oral evidence sessionsLatest 15 May 2018
All evidence

Recent activity

Reports

1 report

Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions

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Date Session and witnesses Source
15 May 2018
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded 		View ↗
9 May 2018
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded 		View ↗
17 Apr 2018
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded 		View ↗
13 Mar 2018
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded 		View ↗
27 Feb 2018
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded 		View ↗
16 Jan 2018
Oral evidence session
No witnesses recorded 		View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter

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PublishedDirectionLetter
12 Jun 2018 Not recorded Correspondence from the Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills regarding apprenticeships (6 June 2018)