Peter Aldous calls on the Government to review universal credit conditionality so that people in receipt of universal credit can attend college to acquire the skills in growing sectors such as offshore wind and nuclear power, and urges the Government to support a new clause that he has tabled to the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill.
Progression out of Low-Paid Jobs
Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)
1. What steps she is taking to support progression out of low pay jobs. (905446)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse Coffey)
I associate myself with your comments, Mr Speaker, on the magnificent service of Her Majesty the Queen.
People can use the Train and Progress scheme to access courses so that they can progress out of low-paid jobs. We are appointing progression champions throughout the country and, from April onwards, will open up access to work coach support to address skills barriers or wider barriers to progression among people who are already in work.
Peter Aldous
I am grateful to my right hon. Friend and constituency neighbour for that answer. In sectors such as offshore wind and nuclear power in Suffolk, either there are skills shortages or new opportunities are emerging. Currently, many people are not able to acquire the skills needed for such jobs because of the rigid and complex universal credit conditionality rules. Will my right hon. Friend agree to a review of universal credit conditionality, as she and I have discussed and in accordance with the new clause that I have tabled to the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill?
Dr Coffey
As my hon. Friend is my neighbour, I am conscious of the opportunities in his constituency thanks to the Government investment, alongside that of private investors, in our progress to net zero. I do not agree with him that we need to reshape student finance in such a way; that is not the purpose of universal credit, and only a limited number of people can undertake that training. I assure him that Train and Progress, which I mentioned, the lifetime skills guarantee and the opening up of access, as well as apprenticeships to get into a sector in the first place, are better ways to make sure that we help people to get on in work.