Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill

There are examples involving companies with very small numbers of employees. Carillion ran an interesting scheme in which the apprentices went out to very small firms—I think that some of them were self-employed tradesmen. There are circumstances where this happens, usually involving group training associations and the like. I agree absolutely with the noble Viscount on the subject of government mastery of all the variables. If we tried to do that, we would inevitably fail. I will come back to that point. The amendment would allow the Secretary of State to specify, by order under Clause 37(1), sectors for the purposes of Chapter 1, but he would not be required to cover the full range of skills, trades and occupations, as Clause 37(2) provides. It is important that the apprenticeship provisions of the Bill apply to sectors covering the full range of skills, trades and occupations. This will ensure the broadest range of opportunities for our potential apprentices and for employers, as well as a level of consistency in the provision of apprenticeships. This clause requires the Secretary of State to specify apprenticeship sectors. This is necessary for the effective functioning of the apprenticeship scheme in the Bill. Clause 90 requires those meeting the eligibility conditions of the apprenticeship scheme to choose two available sectors when they elect to join the scheme. The commissioning of apprenticeship places by the local authorities, and the contracting of these places by the Skills Funding Agency, will be on the basis of apprenticeship sectors. As we explained in the Explanatory Notes to the Bill, the sectors will follow the footprint of the sector skills councils. The noble Viscount raises an interesting question about how the Secretary of State could ever hope to fulfil this commitment and I am grateful for his concern. The 25 sector skills councils, covering 85 per cent of the UK workforce, will be responsible for delivering a coherent range of apprenticeship frameworks across their sectors. For skills, trades or occupations that are outside their footprint, the sector skills councils have established strategic partnerships, and some less formal arrangements, with relevant bodies to ensure apprenticeship coverage across the full range of skills, trades and occupations. I prefer to aim wide in terms of coverage, rather than risk narrowing the breadth of opportunities for our young people. I return to the concern of the noble Viscount, Lord Eccles, that the Secretary of State will be personally responsible for identifying the full range of apprenticeships needed. That will not be the case. I return to the point that we agree on: this is a demand-led system and, if employers tell us that there is a need for apprenticeships, those apprenticeships will emerge. Employers will be in discussion with the sector skills councils, which have only one job—to make sure that those apprenticeships live up to the criteria defined in the specification and standards. We have not yet convinced people that this is a demand-led system, rather than the Secretary of State having to accurately determine what skills and apprenticeships are needed. These will emerge from what employers tell us is required. We feel that we have got the framing of the clause right. We need to have the widest possible range of apprenticeships available for the reasons that I have previously explained. I thank the noble Viscount for raising this issue because it gave us an opportunity to discuss it, but I hope that, on the basis of what I have explained, he will feel able to withdraw his amendment.