The Labour response to the Apprenticeship Funding proposals

Speaking following the Government’s U turn on apprenticeship funding proposals, Gordon Marsden, Labour’s Shadow Minister for Apprenticeships said:

 ‘The Government have had to make a major u-turn to their original proposals for funding apprenticeships which would have disadvantaged tens of thousands of 16-18 year old young people, colleges and providers.

‘This is after a sustained campaign from our front-bench, David Lammy and other MP’s, colleges and providers.

‘The Minister saw for himself the huge outcry at the packed meeting we organised in the Commons last month, as well as written questions put down by us and my colleague Richard Burden pressing the Prime Minister at PMQ’s.

‘It is a credit to the new Minister that he recognised that this needs to be done preserve any credibility for the Government’s social mobility position. We need to see the detail though and whether a year of transitional funding for disadvantaged areas will be enough.

‘There still remain big question marks over the Government’s apprenticeship targets and policies. We will continue pressing them strongly for urgent answers on the digital service, the Institute for Apprenticeships, resources and capacity.’