Apprentices: Newcastle-under-Lyme
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps he has taken to increase the number of apprenticeships available to young people in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Answered by Andrew Western
This Government is prioritising young people’s futures and reversing the sharp decline in apprenticeship starts amongst young people, which have fallen by 40% over the last decade. This includes a record-breaking investment of £3.3 billion in the Growth and Skills Levy this year and over £1 billion of additional investment across the Spending Review period.
To support our ambition of 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships across England, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme, we have expanded foundation apprenticeships into hospitality and retail, will launch a new level 2 administrative assistant apprenticeship from August, and are introducing a new apprenticeship hiring payment of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers, typically SMEs, that take on 16-24 year old apprentices as new employees.
We will also fully fund non-levy paying employer apprenticeships for eligible 16–24-year-olds from August 2026 and launch a £140 million pilot, in conjunction with Mayoral Strategic Authorities, to better connect young people to local apprenticeship opportunities.
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