Vocational Training
Business, Innovation and Skills
Adrian Sanders (Torbay, Liberal Democrat)
To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of providing 40 per cent. of the workforce with the opportunity to attain a level 4 qualification by 2020.
Kevin Brennan (Minister of State (also in the Department for Business, Innovations and Skills), Department for Children, Schools and Families; Cardiff West, Labour)
It is not possible to build a meaningful estimate of the long-term costs of this goal, given the time span in question and the fact that we do not know the outcome of the 2009 Fees Commission.
Latest labour force survey data shows that just over 31 per cent. of the working age population are qualified to level 4 or above-a generally upward trend from about 25 per cent. eight years ago. We are on target to achieve 40 per cent. by 2020.