VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Apprentices

Asked by Edward MorelloLiberal DemocratDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 20 April 2026UIN 126459

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential risks associated with apprenticeship systems that rely on individual employers for course continuation.

Answered by Andrew Western

An apprenticeship is a job with training, apprentices therefore must be employed and have a contract of employment that lasts until they finish the apprenticeship, including the assessment.

If an apprentice loses their job, their apprenticeship funding will stop, and the apprentice will need to find a new employer who will support their apprenticeship. Training providers can provide support and guidance to apprentices whilst they look for a new employer. When they find a new employer, the employer should then identify a training provider who can deliver the rest of their apprenticeship training and support assessment.

If an apprentice is made redundant and their training provider can continue to deliver their government funded apprenticeship training, we will continue to fund the apprenticeship training for at least 12 weeks following redundancy. This is to give the individual time to find alternative employment in order to continue with the apprenticeship.

If the apprentice is unable to secure a new employer, they may still be able to finish their apprenticeship training and assessment if they have less than 6 months of training left to complete or have finished 75% or more of their training.

We provide a range of advice for apprentices facing redundancy on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/redundancy-support-for-apprentices and https://customerhelp.education.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/18228373250322-Employment-and-redundancy-in-apprenticeships

Apprentices can also contact the Apprenticeship Service helpline if they need further support and use the ‘Find an Apprenticeship’ service on gov.uk to locate apprenticeship vacancies in their area.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim