Latest news with #RobertHalfon
BBC News
22-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
What is happening with the UKHSA lab in Harlow, Essex?
Tucked away on an industrial estate in Essex is a building that could one day house some of the world's deadliest of millions of pounds have been spent creating one of the UK's most secretive new research centres, but the project in Harlow has been in limbo since March expected to cost £530m and open in 2021, the government put the project on ice when that estimate skyrocketed to £ uncertainty continuing to cloud what was once touted as a "big step forward for UK public science", the BBC takes a look at where it went wrong. What was the plan? The project was born out of concerns about the high-containment laboratories in Porton Down in Wiltshire, and Colindale in north sites are essential for detecting and studying the most dangerous pathogens, including Ebola and they are ageing, nearing the end of their operational lives and need replacing with facilities fit to prevent the next pandemic. After years of deliberations, it was Harlow that was announced as the home for a new national integrated hub for public health science in town's Conservative MP at the time Robert Halfon celebrated it as a move that would create thousands of make it work, 900 workers would relocate from Wiltshire to Essex to begin the the government body responsible for overseeing the project kept was first mooted by the Health Protection Agency, which was superseded in 2013 by Public Health England (PHE), which then became the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) in project was rebranded the "science hub" programme when it fell at the door of the newly-created UK Health Security Agency in 2021, which replaced the the while, the price kept creeping up and up. How much has this cost? The project was estimated to cost £530m when it was announced by the chancellor at the time, George Osborne, before being revised later that year to £888m.A site owned by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, in west Harlow, was purchased by PHE for £30m to get the ball rolling in business cases were drawn up for the development, but the government has never given any of them full plot on the industrial estate is still made up of redundant, unused, offices. More than £400m has been spent on the project to date, according to a National Audit Office (NAO) report, but no work has taken place since March this, the BBC can reveal between that date and February 2025, UKHSA has forked out an extra £3.3m on the dormant includes £1.1m on security, £1m on utility bills and £698,000 on maintenance, revealed under the Freedom of Information cost of the whole project is estimated to be £3.2bn, a figure more than 500% higher than the initial at a House of Commons public affairs committee in May 2024, Dame Meg Hillier said there had been "no accountability" for the increase. What is going on now? No construction work is taking place at the site, which is being maintained by staff to keep it government has been considering options for its high-containment laboratories and whether building a new one is still estimates if the Harlow centre is built, it will not open before 2036 - some 15 years late. Eight civil servants are working on the project, but their hands are tied while they wait to hear if the government still wants to go ahead with NAO report said "doubts have emerged" about its viability within the Department of Health and Social revealed DHSC ministers had asked UKHSA to consider if upgrading the existing sites in Porton Down and Colindale would be more cost-effective.A UKHSA spokesman said staff were "hoping for a decision in the coming months".The issue was last raised in Parliament in March, when Health Secretary Wes Streeting was asked about the delays."[This] has been running around the system so long that it is now used in a case study for senior civil servant recruitment," he said."The worst decision is indecision."It has plagued us for too long and I hope we can soon report back to the house with a decision on that for everyone's benefit." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Companies welcome easing of apprenticeship rules
Plans to ditch a requirement for English and maths for apprentices has been welcomed by an East of England business leader. The government announced companies would have the power to decide if the qualifications should be part of a prescribed course when employing apprentices. Candy Richards of the region's Federation of Small Business (FSB) backed the idea but called for extra support for firms wanting to train people given the economic challenges many were facing. Former Conservative apprentices minister and ex-Harlow MP Robert Halfon said he was concerned about reducing skill levels but supported cutting bureaucracy. Labour's Peterborough MP Andy Pakes said: "Apprenticeships are the golden thread that runs through all of the ambitions to build new houses, create new jobs, fix the NHS and get towards net zero." The Department for Education (DfE) said a relaxation of the rules could mean 10,000 more apprentices are able to complete courses every year. At a special edition of BBC Politics East, filmed in Peterborough, Ms Richards said local businesses wanted to "get rid of red tape around apprenticeships". "Removing the requirements of apprentices to have Level 2 in maths and English is definitely going to help". She added: "Small businesses want some financial support... There are financial barriers and we need to get rid of these." Ms Richard said recent FSB research has found that "most small businesses are looking at reducing the headcount or keeping the same number of staff". Mr Halfon said: "There were a lot of changes when I was apprentices minister. "We brought in that the government - the taxpayer - would pay for all the training costs of 16-21-year-old apprentices. "I wish we had introduced a skills tax credit to encourage more SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to have apprentices." But, he added: "I really worry about these functional skills. If you have maths and English, it sets you up for life." Peterborough College's director of apprenticeships James Whybrow said it was important to make apprenticeships "relevant for particular individuals", rather than "one size fits all". Mr Pakes said: "We have to find the mechanisms to support small businesses. "I think the growth in the skills levy (paid by firms) is a really important thing for business. "I speak to Peterborough employers and people support the levy because they see it pays back into their company for the next generation of apprentices. "The challenge now is not the money but how we make sure the money gets to the right places." Callum Mullis, an engineering student at Peterborough College, told BBC Politics East: "As I got older I realised engineering was something that I felt passionate about. "Apprenticeship seemed the better route to go down. "If I only went to sixth form to learn engineering I wouldn't necessarily be able to apply those skills. "Whereas through this apprenticeship I am able to apply it and learn it at the same time." Building apprentice at Peterborough College Tyler Macartney said: "I had run bars and restaurants before and had my child so I wanted a complete change in career and started working in the construction trade, self-employed at first and then for a firm. "My boss came to say it would be a great idea for me to advance my skills and go on and do an apprenticeship. "Nowadays they are building so many homes. You're always going to have work. There's a need for homes. Young people should be doing apprenticeships." BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday, 16 February at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Apprentices vital for growth, say Essex businesses Apprentices rise through ranks at accountancy firm Maths and English skills ditched for adult apprentices Federation of Small Businesses
BBC News
16-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Businesses back scrapping red tape to boost apprenticeships
Plans to ditch a requirement for English and maths for apprentices has been welcomed by an East of England business government announced companies would have the power to decide if the qualifications should be part of a prescribed course when employing Richards of the region's Federation of Small Business (FSB) backed the idea but called for extra support for firms wanting to train people given the economic challenges many were Conservative apprentices minister and ex-Harlow MP Robert Halfon said he was concerned about reducing skill levels but supported cutting bureaucracy. Labour's Peterborough MP Andy Pakes said: "Apprenticeships are the golden thread that runs through all of the ambitions to build new houses, create new jobs, fix the NHS and get towards net zero."The Department for Education (DfE) said a relaxation of the rules could mean 10,000 more apprentices are able to complete courses every a special edition of BBC Politics East, filmed in Peterborough, Ms Richards said local businesses wanted to "get rid of red tape around apprenticeships"."Removing the requirements of apprentices to have Level 2 in maths and English is definitely going to help".She added: "Small businesses want some financial support... There are financial barriers and we need to get rid of these."Ms Richard said recent FSB research has found that "most small businesses are looking at reducing the headcount or keeping the same number of staff". Mr Halfon said: "There were a lot of changes when I was apprentices minister."We brought in that the government - the taxpayer - would pay for all the training costs of 16-21-year-old apprentices."I wish we had introduced a skills tax credit to encourage more SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to have apprentices."But, he added: "I really worry about these functional skills. If you have maths and English, it sets you up for life."Peterborough College's director of apprenticeships James Whybrow said it was important to make apprenticeships "relevant for particular individuals", rather than "one size fits all". Mr Pakes said: "We have to find the mechanisms to support small businesses."I think the growth in the skills levy (paid by firms) is a really important thing for business. "I speak to Peterborough employers and people support the levy because they see it pays back into their company for the next generation of apprentices."The challenge now is not the money but how we make sure the money gets to the right places." Callum Mullis, an engineering student at Peterborough College, told BBC Politics East: "As I got older I realised engineering was something that I felt passionate about."Apprenticeship seemed the better route to go down. "If I only went to sixth form to learn engineering I wouldn't necessarily be able to apply those skills."Whereas through this apprenticeship I am able to apply it and learn it at the same time." Building apprentice at Peterborough College Tyler Macartney said: "I had run bars and restaurants before and had my child so I wanted a complete change in career and started working in the construction trade, self-employed at first and then for a firm. "My boss came to say it would be a great idea for me to advance my skills and go on and do an apprenticeship."Nowadays they are building so many homes. You're always going to have work. There's a need for homes. Young people should be doing apprenticeships." BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday, 16 February at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Telegraph
12-02-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
‘The system is broken': How George Osborne's apprenticeship dream fell apart
A decade ago, with the country in the midst of a skilled labour shortage, Introduced two years later with the aim of achieving three million 'high quality' apprenticeships by 2020, it requires large employers to pay 0.5 per cent of their wage bill into a training fund which can be accessed by companies of all sizes. But Acknowledging the shortcomings, the Government has pledged an overhaul of the system – headed by the Department for Education (DfE) – as it aims to boost economic growth and plug skills gaps in key industries, in order to reduce reliance on skilled workers from overseas. 'I know from the businesses I have met that they are not happy with the apprenticeship levy system which we inherited, but we have a shared vision of breaking down barriers to opportunity and getting people the skills they need,' says skills minister Jacqui Smith. Even those involved with introducing the scheme appear to be aware that change is required. Robert Halfon, the former Conservative MP and minister for skills, says there should be 'as little bureaucracy and form-filling as possible for the small businesses'. A difficult process While the term 'apprentice' may conjure images of an eager teenager swapping school for industry, the reality is markedly different. Over the past 15 years, the proportion of young people beginning an apprenticeship has plunged, with those aged 18 or under making up only 23 per cent of starts in 2023-2024 compared to 41 per cent in 2008. Meanwhile, 49 per cent of apprenticeships are now taken by individuals aged 25 plus, many of whom are already in work and, in some cases, hold senior positions. Just one fifth of new starters in 2023-24 enrolled in intermediate programmes – the lowest level of apprenticeship – with the rest beginning advanced and higher level courses. Inadvertently, the apprenticeship levy – which applies to businesses with a yearly payroll of more than £3 million – appears to have incentivised the large companies that pay into it to use their funds to advance their own (older) workers. Young people, and SMEs, are losing out as a result. In September to November 2024, 628,000 people aged 16 to 24, or 14.5 per cent, were unemployed in the UK. This was 98,000 more than the previous year, and strikingly above the national average of 4.4 per cent. As well as a high unemployment rate, a longer-term trend among this age group is an increase in overall economic inactivity. Mike Tinmouth, co-founder of ACUA Ocean, a maritime technology company in Plymouth, says he wants to bring more young people on board. But whilst his company has successfully employed interns, the apprenticeship levy has been more challenging to navigate. Benjamin Gilbert, founder of Ealing Electricians, agrees. 'The average tradesman spends his day managing customer service, the supply side, and the trade itself. 'Whilst bigger businesses have the capacity to devote time and resources to navigating the apprenticeship system, it's a much bigger challenge for a smaller company,' he says. 'Tradesmen I know have been turned away because of how difficult the process is – the system is definitely broken.' Money spent on those already in work In 2023-24, Over 7,000 people began a senior leadership programme in that period, whilst another 9,000 began an accountancy or taxation professional apprenticeship scheme. The majority of those were in large levy-paying organisations, according to research by the Social Market Foundation. These higher level apprenticeships have become increasingly controversial. They are often used to teach existing workers new skills – widely referred to as 'upskilling' – or deliver continuing professional development for managers already in post, and are frequently combined with a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a prestigious postgraduate qualification. The higher level apprenticeship programmes are disproportionately used by large, levy-paying employers. Between 2022-2023, such companies accounted for 69 per cent of total apprenticeship spending. Non-levy-paying SMEs accounted for fewer than 30 per cent of apprenticeship funding during the same period, but more than half of their apprentices were under the age of 19. Critics of the current system, such as the The Social Market Foundation, say the solution is ring-fencing money for under 21s to ensure more roles are taken up by young people entering the workforce as new hires. Onerous bureaucracy Another issue is the bureaucracy at the heart of the scheme. Apprentices are required to spend one day a week at a college or training provider, learning the theory of their chosen trade. Employers can access funding to support this, and they then pay their apprentice for the four days a week they work for them. But many SMEs, in particular, struggle to get to grips with the paperwork involved, on top of trying to turn a profit and managing other responsibilities. For Gilbert, the system proved to be so inaccessible that he was forced to reach out for external support. He credits Ajay Purbhoosing of WorkWhile, an initiative that helps employers to create more accessible work, with helping him to secure funding. 'I probably wouldn't have been able to get my apprentices without this support,' admits Benjamin, who now employs two apprentices. 'Ajay talked me through how the whole system works and how the funds were available from the levy via the local council to fund the college training. 'We need more people like him, perhaps appointed by the Government, just to help small businesses navigate the system.' Many believe the apprenticeship system can be disincentivising for small business owners. Andrew Eldred, chief operations officer of the Electrical Contractors' Association, says: 'The levy funds pay for the training apprentices are required to do but they don't support the employment and recruitment of these workers. These costs are easily absorbed by a big company but, of course, it's more of a challenge for small businesses. 'It feels like there's sometimes a tendency, at the governmental level, to look at small employers taking on apprentices as altruism. Actually, it's an economic exchange with wider financial effects. Small businesses are only going to continue signing up to this system if there's a return on their investment.' Eldred points out that most trade apprenticeships span four years, with many employers only beginning to see a financial benefit in the third year. However, with stubbornly high drop-out rates (around half of all apprentices quit before completing their programmes), taking on a new hire can sometimes be more costly and problematic than expected. Inadequate training programmes Apprenticeship standards – training programmes which contain a list of skills, knowledge and behaviours an apprentice will need to have learnt by the end of their course – have also proved to be a headache for would-be employers. Industry sources say the regimes – developed by employer groups known as 'trailblazers' – can often be outdated and difficult to comply with. Nicola Hodkinson, owner director of construction firm Seddon, says they 'haven't kept up with the specialisms in the sector, making it difficult for employers to offer the range of work needed'. Angela Mansell, managing director of Mansell Building Solutions in Manchester, says her company has resorted to launching an in-house traineeship to provide a more specialised and relevant programme. Her company uses a modern spray plastering method which is not part of a traditional apprenticeship. This means it cannot meet the requirements to offer a plastering scheme and therefore does not qualify for funding via the levy. Mansell argues the system should be changed so that firms can access funding for apprentices who are trained in house, rather than through colleges and other providers, in order to make programmes more adaptable and keep them in step with the changing nature of industry. Debate over reforms Aware of these systemic issues, the Government recently announced an overhaul of the apprenticeship system to 'support opportunity' through a 'growth and skills levy'. It will be informed by recommendations from Skills England (a new arms-length body) and replace the existing apprenticeship levy, with the aim of rebalancing the funding for the benefit of younger workers. Some level seven apprenticeships will no longer be eligible for support via the levy, and companies will be able to use funds to pay for a wider range of training, including short courses and online masterclasses. On Tuesday, the Government confirmed that companies will be able to hire apprentices over the age of 19 who do not have GCSE-equivalent maths and English qualifications to allow up to 10,000 more people to enter the workforce each year. Halfon, who championed apprenticeships throughout his parliamentary career, argues that whilst there are issues with the current system, the levy is a vital concept that needs to be better utilised. '[It] had a huge impact on changing the culture,' he says. 'You now have big companies who have dedicated people on their board, tasked with the apprenticeship programme. That wouldn't have happened in the past. 'It has also had a dramatic effect on the way we see apprenticeships. Over the last 10 to 15 years, we've seen a shift in apprenticeships only being viewed as training for the traditional crafts, to being far more wide-ranging and prestigious.' But some industry leaders are concerned the proposed changes do not go far enough and warn any benefits from the overhaul will be offset by other policies, such as Chancellor Rachel Reeves' national insurance tax hike. 'We need [the] Government to reduce costs or offer incentives like tax breaks for taking on apprentices to create a more responsive system,' says Amit Oberoi, chairman of the Considerate Constructors Scheme. Halfon agrees. He suggests a skills tax credit 'for businesses who take on people for skills qualifications, in the same way we have research and development tax relief' as a way forward. Smith, the skills minister, says: 'Employers are [not] required to pay national insurance for apprentices under the age of 25 and we offer extensive support for recruiting and training apprentices to SMEs, with smaller employers eligible for funding of at least 95% of the apprenticeship training costs.' 'We need young people' The ongoing debate threatens to overshadow National Apprenticeship Week, which concludes on Friday. But to those in industry, it is clear there is potential waiting to be unlocked. Hodkinson says Seddon had over 1,100 applications for just 16 apprenticeship vacancies in 2024. 'We need more engineers and young people with STEM knowledge. Manufacturing, production; it's the future, really,' says Tinmouth. 'We live in an increasingly challenging global environment. We need our young people to be trained in infrastructure work; robotics, AI, and the like. It's absolutely imperative that the systems are there to facilitate this.'
