Thursday Volume 574 23 January 2014 No. 110 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Thursday 23 January 2014 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2014 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 419 23 JANUARY 2014 420 Vince Cable: I cannot give my hon. Friend a precise House of Commons number, but I know that a depth of engineering talent is arising from the island’s successful companies, both in Thursday 23 January 2014 the maritime sector and in aerospace. We want to build on that, and I would be absolutely delighted to meet The House met at half-past Nine o’clock him and his engineers on the Isle of Wight—I always enjoy a walk on Tennyson down. PRAYERS Oliver Colvile: As my right hon. Friend knows, Devonport dockyard is the only naval dockyard in the [Mr Speaker in the Chair] country that refits and refurbishes our nuclear submarines. How have the Government helped—and how can we help—to make sure that we protect Britain’s nuclear Oral Answers to Questions engineering skills base and ensure that the work force are not lured away to Hinkley C, just up the peninsula? BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS Vince Cable: My hon. Friend is right to say that in an environment where there is an acute shortage of professional The Secretary of State was asked— engineers and craftsmen, there is a tendency to poach skills. We see that happening in other sectors, like the 1. Stephen Metcalfe (South Basildon and East Thurrock) motor car industry, oil and gas and so on. The answer is (Con): What steps he is taking to encourage more to produce more engineers, and he will be aware that in people to become engineers. [902128] his constituency, or certainly in the city of Plymouth, we have the 600-place university technology college, 12. Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight) (Con): What which is growing with support from the Government. steps he is taking to encourage more people to become That is a very positive step forward, and I am sure he engineers. [902143] will be pleased with it. 14. Oliver Colvile (Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport) (Con): What steps he is taking to encourage more Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield) (Lab): Does people to become engineers. [902147] the Secretary of State agree that today’s good news from the automotive sector should encourage more The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills people to become engineers, but that there is still a real (Vince Cable): The Government are working with issue to address to ensure that the automotive supply employers, professional bodies and higher and further chain gets the engineers it needs and that young people education institutions to implement the Perkins review are encouraged to go into it? Does that not involve of engineering skills and boost careers in engineering, doing more to ensure that training meets the needs of particularly for women. In September we announced the supply chain and that small businesses in that sector a £400 million boost for STEM—science, technology, get the investment they need, which requires a different engineering and maths—teaching in universities. approach from finance houses? Stephen Metcalfe: In a recent Science and Technology Committee report “Educating tomorrow’s engineers”, Vince Cable: The hon. Gentleman is right to say that we recommended that the key challenge now faced by the car industry, which “learned societies, professional engineering institutions and trade is a great success story, is to progress the success of bodies put an obligation on their members to systematically OEMs—original equipment manufacturers—which are engage in promoting engineering and technology as a career expanding, down through their supply chains, which through a structured programme of educational engagement.” were hollowed out in earlier years. We are addressing What progress, if any, has been made in making that that issue through the Automotive Council and the come to fruition? industry strategy. That is progressing well, but it does need a great deal of support for the training base and Vince Cable: There is a recognition of the seriousness the training of engineers, which is what we are doing of the shortage of engineers, and we are trying to through our apprenticeship programme. address that in a variety of ways. On the particular programmes that my hon. Friend has described, we are working with the professional associations on work Alison Seabeck (Plymouth, Moor View) (Lab): Young experience for students and industrial placements for people across Plymouth are telling me that they feel as teachers, because we have to change the perceptions of though they are little more than walking pots of money young people in schools. when it comes to careers advice and that schools are almost harassing them at times to keep them in school. Mr Turner: I welcome my right hon. Friend’s initiatives That obviously militates against some of them going to to encourage more people into engineering. I founded do engineering apprenticeships, as my neighbour the the Isle of Wight Technology Group to help engineering hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport and technology companies work together on training, (Oliver Colvile) has pointed out. What more can the recruitment and other issues. Will he say how many new Secretary of State do to set up an independent careers engineers are being grown on the island, and will he advice arrangement, so that these young people can get come to the Isle of Wight to see for himself the good broader advice, not specific and closed advice from work that technology companies are doing? their schools? 421 Oral Answers23 JANUARY 2014 Oral Answers 422 Vince Cable: Yes indeed. The all-age careers service Apprenticeships that we have put in place is now generally acknowledged to be giving successful advice through the age range. On 2. Sheryll Murray (South East Cornwall) (Con): schools, we recognise that there is an issue to address on What steps he is taking to ensure that apprenticeships the career paths of the non-academic—the more respond to employers’ needs. [902129] vocationally trained. We shall shortly be issuing guidance to schools on how to access independent advice. The Minister for Skills and Enterprise (Matthew Hancock): Our apprenticeship reforms are responding to the needs Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): The aerospace industry of employers by putting them in the driving seat. has shown marked improvement in the past few months. Trailblazers, led by employers and professional bodies, Just last week, Magellan Aerospace in Belfast announced is leading the way in developing new standards in a wide a new job contract through the Prime Minister, and jobs range of sectors. and opportunities were created. Is it now time for higher education and for industry, particularly aerospace, to work together to make sure that those jobs are taken Sheryll Murray: Will my hon. Friend join me in by young people from universities and colleges at this congratulating the 300 in 100 campaign in Cornwall on time? its aim to get 300 new apprenticeships in 100 days? I participated in the campaign in St Mellion a few weeks ago along with many employers in my constituency. Vince Cable: I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. I was in Belfast recently and met a Matthew Hancock: I would love to congratulate my combination of Northern Ireland universities and industry. hon. Friend, who has teamed up with other MPs across They are working together and realise that a recovery is Cornwall including my hon. Friends the Members for taking place, despite the problems of the traditional Camborne and Redruth (George Eustice), for Truro industries around Belfast. Such work requires the kind and Falmouth (Sarah Newton) and for St Ives (Andrew of collaboration he has described. George) and many others. Many Members of this House have been part of the 100 in 100 campaigns to Sir Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire) (Con): Will the get 100 apprentices in 100 days, and Cornwall is taking Secretary of State reassure me that he regards the it just that bit further. excellent John Perkins review of engineering skills as the irreducible minimum necessary to address the urgent Mr Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West) (Lab/Co-op): shortages in engineering skills in our country, and that The number of apprentices in the 16-to-18 age group is his Department will remain open to ideas better to dropping at the moment, with serious implication for market engineering to young people, and to address the our long-term skills base. Will the Minister look again appalling gender stereotyping that is frustrating so many at the proposals of the Business, Innovation and Skills women’s ambitions to get into engineering? Committee to use public procurement contracts to ensure a certain level of recruitment for that age group in the Vince Cable: Yes, it is an exceptionally good report. way in which the previous Government did and local The challenge is a massive one. There is an acute authorities are doing? shortage of engineers, and the problem is particularly serious among women. I believe that something in the Matthew Hancock: Of course, Crossrail, which is the order of one in 10 professional engineers is a woman, biggest public construction project in Europe, has in it and about one in 20 in advanced apprenticeships. We exactly what the hon. Gentleman describes. He will are actively seeking to address that with the professional have seen last week that we announced 2,000 new institutions. apprentices as part of High Speed 2.