Will the new T-Levels and apprenticeship levy help plug the country's skill gap?

These are some of the questions the House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee will be asking two panels of witnesses on Tuesday 23 January 2018.

At 3.35pm the Committee will hear from:

• Giles Derrington, Head of Policy for Exiting the European Union, techUK
• Russ Shaw, Founder, Tech London Advocates
• Matthew Houlihan, Director, Government and Corporate Affairs, Cisco UK and Ireland.

Questions the Committee is likely to ask them include:

• The 2015 CBI/Pearson skills survey found that 40 per cent of employers had reported a shortage of STEM graduates as being a key barrier in recruiting appropriate staff. Does the technology sector struggle to find people with the right skills?
• Are apprenticeships the right form of training for the digital era?
• The first Technical (T) levels in digital, construction, and education and childcare are expected to be taught from 2020 with the full programme introduced by 2022. What difference will the introduction of T levels make?

At 4.35pm the Committee will hear from:

• Seamus Nevin, Head of Policy Research, Institute of Directors
• Anna Purchas, Head of People, KPMG.

Questions the Committee is likely to ask them include:

• Around 50 per cent of British graduates are employed in non-graduate roles. Has the expansion of university education raised the qualification requirements for jobs that do not require graduate skills?
• Will recent reforms to apprenticeships, including the apprenticeship levy and targets improve the system? Is there a danger that the existence of an apprenticeship target will incentivise lower-quality offerings?
• Should businesses help provide careers advice in schools?

This evidence session will start at 3.35pm on Tuesday 23 January 2018 in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.

These sessions are part of the Committee's ongoing inquiry into the economics of higher, further and technical education.