Apprentices: Southampton Itchen

Department for Education written question – answered at on 23 March 2017.

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Photo of Royston Smith Royston Smith Conservative, Southampton, Itchen

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many apprenticeship providers operate in Southampton Itchen constituency.

Photo of Royston Smith Royston Smith Conservative, Southampton, Itchen

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to increase competition among apprenticeship providers.

Photo of Royston Smith Royston Smith Conservative, Southampton, Itchen

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of apprenticeship starts in Southampton are with (a) levy-paying and (b) non-levy-paying businesses.

Photo of Robert Halfon Robert Halfon Minister of State (Department of Education) (Apprenticeships and Skills)

There are two providers directly delivering apprenticeships in the Southampton Itchen constituency in 2016/17 funding year.

Information on the proportion of apprenticeships starts in Southampton with (a) levy-paying and (b) non-levy-paying businesses is not available. The Apprenticeships Levy comes into effect from April 2017, as part of a wider suite of reforms to improve the quality and sustainability of the apprenticeship system. There were 950 apprenticeship starts in the Southampton Itchen constituency in 2015/16.

Publication of the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers on 14 March 2017 means that employers have a real choice in the training they select, so that they get the skills they need to grow their business. The Register will also support a genuine increase in the quality of training for apprentices and creates a step up in the quality expected of apprenticeship provision – ensuring that only organisations that have passed our quality tests can deliver apprenticeships. By regularly giving new providers a chance to get on the register, it will also encourage diversity and competition in the marketplace for training providers, supporting quality and employer choice – they will determine which providers they select based on business measures such as cost, timeframe and location.

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