The All Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships is a cross-party group of MPs and Peers which provides a forum for parliamentarians and employers to discuss how to promote the role of high quality apprenticeships.
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About the Group
The APPG aims to create a positive, constructive platform that builds a strong relationship with the Government and collaborates with them in developing policies that support the uptake of apprenticeships.
The key objectives of the Group include: raising awareness amongst parliamentarians and policymakers of the vital role apprenticeships play in the economy; communicating the significance of apprenticeship delivery as a way of enhancing UK productivity and social mobility; and supporting MPs & Peers to champion high-quality apprenticeships in communities, the education system and workplace.
Contact the Group
Connect provide the Secretariat to the Group on behalf of the Group sponsors. For information on Connect’s clients, please visit the PRCA Register.
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For further information please contact us on 0207 592 9592 or
ApprenticeshipsAPPG@connectpa.co.uk
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This is not an official website [or feed] of Parliament. It has not been approved by either House. APPGs are informal groups of parliamentarians with a common interest in particular issues. The views expressed are those of the Group.
Co-Chairs
Andrew Pakes MP
Andrew was elected as the Member of Parliament for Peterborough in July 2024, having previously served as a Councillor for the London Borough of Southwark between 2006 and 2010. Immediately before his election to Parliament, he worked as the Deputy General Secretary of Prospect – a trade union representing engineers, managers and scientists across both the public and private sector. Apprenticeships and skills are one of his core priorities as an MP, and he will be working through this Parliament to give the next generation the opportunity to gain skills that will equip them for the future job market.
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Toby Perkins MP
Toby was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Chesterfield in 2010, having previously served as a Councillor for the Chesterfield Borough Council, ran an online rugby clothing business and managed a social enterprise providing nursery care to derived communities. Having shadowed the apprenticeships, education, small business and armed forces portfolios under successive Labour leaders, Toby has also sat on the Communities and Local Government, International Trade, Home Affairs and Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Select Committees. He views apprenticeships reform and revitalised training opportunities as essential to meeting current economic challenges, enabling people at every stage of their lives to learn, retrain and progress at work.
Full membership
Andrew Pakes, Labour (Co-op), Co-Chair
Toby Perkins, Labour, Co-Chair
Lord Aberdare, Crossbench, Officer
Peter Bedford, Conservative, Officer
Baroness Garden, Liberal Democrat, Member
Lord Blunkett, Labour, Member
Lord Goddard of Stockport (Liberal Democrat)
Lord Haskel, Labour, Member
Lord Lucas, Conservative, Member
Lord Young of Norwood Green, Labour, Member
Lord Watson of Invergowrie, Labour, Member
Oliver Ryan, Labour (Co-op), Member
Luke Myer, Labour, Member
Richard Quigley, Labour, Member
Gideon Amos, Liberal Democrat, Member
Sarah Dyke, Liberal Democrat, Member
Bob Blackman, Conservative, Member
Rebecca Paul, Conservative, Member
Gareth Snell, Labour (Co-op), Member
Will Stone, Labour, Member
John Slinger, Labour, Member
James Asser, Labour, Member
Baroness Wolf, Crossbench, Member
George Freeman, Conservative, Member
David Taylor, Labour, Member
​Jo White, Labour, Member
Adam Thompson, Labour, Member
Frank McNally, Labour, Member
Anneliese Midgley, Labour, Member
Jayne Kirkham, Labour, Member
Lord Allen of Kensington, Labour, Member
Lee Pitcher, Labour, Member
James Frith, Labour, Member
Ian Sollom, Liberal Democrats, Member
Jodie Gosling. Labour, Member
David Williams, Labour, Member
Antonia Bance, Labour, Member
Vikki Slade, Liberal Democrat, Member
Lauren Edwards, Labour, Member
Lord Vaizey, Conservative, Member
Lord Hampton, Crossbench, Member
Lord Layard, Labour, Member
Jonathan Brash, Labour, Member
Pam Cox, Labour, Member
Alex McIntyre, Labour, Member
Leigh Ingham, Labour, Member
Apprenticeships APPG hosts annual Fair during National Apprenticeships Week with leading employers and training providers in attendance.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships (APPG) yesterday hosted its annual Apprenticeships Parliamentary Fair, a key highlight of National Apprenticeships Week. The event, held in Portcullis House, celebrated the vital role of apprenticeships in shaping the future workforce and contributing to the UK’s economy.
This event brought together over 30 Parliamentarians, leading employers, training providers, and apprentices from diverse industries and sectors. APPG sponsors showcased their outstanding work in advancing apprenticeship programmes, providing parliamentarians and external attendees with the opportunity to engage not just with those directly involved in delivering apprenticeship schemes across England, but also with apprentices themselves.
Exhibiting at this year’s Fair were London South Bank University, Babcock International, Warwick Manufacturing Group, BAE Systems, Manchester Metropolitan University, Multiverse, EngineeringUK, HIT Training, Ada the National College for Digital Skills, and the Coach Core Foundation.
In light of a new Government and recent announcements on Skills England leadership, this year’s Fair underscored the importance of apprenticeships as a pathway to successful careers and economic growth.
Commenting on the significance of the event, Andrew Pakes MP, Co-Chair of the APPG for Apprenticeships, said: “The Apprenticeships APPG’s Parliamentary Fair was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contributions apprentices make to our society and economy. It’s also a chance to reflect on how we can continue to improve the apprenticeship system to ensure it delivers for learners, employers and the country.”
The Fair once again served as a dynamic platform for discussions around the successes and ongoing challenges within the apprenticeship system. MPs, Peers, and stakeholders had the opportunity to meet apprentices from various industries and hear firsthand about their educational journey. They also engaged with employers and training providers to gain insight into apprenticeship delivery and learned more about the APPG's ongoing work.
The APPG on Apprenticeships remains committed to supporting and promoting apprenticeship programmes as a critical element of the UK’s skills landscape.
APPG on Apprenticeships | The ambition for Skills England
The APPG recently hosted the Interim Chair of Skills England, Richard Pennycook CBE, in the Palace of Westminster for an informative discussion on the Government’s skills agenda and the core objectives for Skills England. With its next report imminent, the APPG looks forward to further scrutiny of Skills England as it becomes an arms-length body following the passage of the IfATE Bill.
Given the centrality of Skills England to the skills ecosystem, we anticipate it will be a constant theme running throughout our upcoming sessions, the topics of which will be Level 7 apprenticeship funding, the Growth & Skills Levy, and widening participation/access across the apprenticeship pathway.
You can view the minutes here.​
Group Sponsors
