Clause 37
Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill
2:30 pm
John Hayes (Shadow Minister, Innovation, Universities and Skills; South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)
Clause 37 requires the Secretary of State to specify apprenticeship sectors. The Government intend them to be based on the current sectoral coverage of sector skills councils which, as we have heard, are employer-led, independent organisations, whose goals are to fill skills gaps and shortages, improve productivity and the skills of everyone in the sector’s work force. The Minister spoke earlier about the scope of the sector skills councils and how that might change, as skills needs change and as skills themselves alter. How is that flexibility consistent with the clause?
Siôn Simon (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills; Birmingham, Erdington, Labour)
Clause 37 provides that the Secretary of State must specify the sectors, trades or occupations covered by the apprenticeship scheme and that he do so by order. The clause is necessary to the effective function of the apprenticeship scheme. Apprenticeship frameworks need to relate to a particular skill, trade or occupation included in an apprenticeship sector. Places on the apprenticeship scheme for young people need to be in a specified apprenticeship sector and young persons have to choose two sectors. For them to be able to choose two sectors, it needs to be clear what the sectors are and what the choice is, which is why they need to be specified.
Specifying the sectors across which apprenticeship places are to be available will also ensure that opportunities for tackling particular skills gaps or shortages are identified. It will also mean that the National Apprenticeship Service can operate its national vacancy-matching service properly, supported by sectoral knowledge and understanding of the sector skills councils. The clause is therefore critical.
John Hayes (Shadow Minister, Innovation, Universities and Skills; South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)
I was wondering whether the Minister would say something about flexibility for sector skills councils. The specification of sectors would presumably need to change if sector skills councils were to broaden their scope to encompass different skills. We spoke earlier about whether that would be affected by the Bill, and if so, in what way.
Siôn Simon (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills; Birmingham, Erdington, Labour)
I assume that, because the clause gives the Secretary of State the power to issue an order, if it were necessary in the future to vary the designations of the sector skills councils, my right hon. Friend would issue a fresh regulation to that effect.