We have established a graduate apprenticeship enhancement group, chaired by Professor Steve Decent, principal and vice-chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University. The group has four workstreams, and a broad range of stakeholders is revisiting the purpose and objective of GAs. That will help to drive future policy, ensuring that the GA strategic direction is in line with wider skills reform and economic priorities.

Graduate apprenticeships have considerable potential for expansion to address skills shortages and to improve workforce retention. Numbers are increasing, but I think that we can increase them further and move the GA offering into other disciplines. I will be guided in that by the export group.