Select committee: Education Committee

Conclusion 40

Third Report - The future of post-16 qualifications Published 28 Apr 2023 Paragraph 157 Addressed to Department for Education
Conclusion (the committee's words)
Subject to positive evaluation, the Department must expand the flexi-job apprenticeship scheme with an ambition to support 5,000 apprentices on the scheme by 2025. The Department must maintain a particular focus on supporting small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) to share apprentices. This will help ease pressure on SMEs by removing the requirement for a full 12-month training commitment. The Department must continue to work closely with trade unions, employers and other stakeholders to ensure fair pay and just terms and conditions for apprenticeships.

From: Education Committee, Third Report - The future of post-16 qualifications (HC 55), paragraph 157, 28 April 2023

Government response

The government responded to the whole report on 5 July 2023 (deadline 28 June 2023).

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 says it shares its views on the importance of post-16 education, while setting out its own reforms and responding to individual recommendations.

  • On Applied General Qualifications, the government does not support a moratorium on defunding; it says it is reforming Level 3 qualifications because too many have low or no enrolments and do not progress young people to related occupations.
  • On T Level data, it says it is "not possible to fast-track" destination data, but plans to publish findings from the first cohort of the Technical Education Learner Survey in "late 2023 / early 2024".
  • On the employer incentive for T Level placements, it has "no intention to continue or reinstate" it, but says a £12m employer support fund was launched earlier this year to compensate employers for placement costs.
  • On maths to 18, it says it has already convened an expert advisory group, and commits to launch a fully funded mathematics NPQ for primary school maths leads, expected to be available to all primary schools "from February 2024".

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error