Apprentices minister named as skills brief moves to education

Robert Halfon has been made skills and apprentices minister at the Department for Education.

Halfon (pictured) was appointed as a junior minister over the weekend, but his department only confirmed his responsibilities yesterday.

The skills and apprentices remit has moved from the business department to education, which is overseen by secretary of state Justine Greening.

Halfon will be responsible for the government meeting its target of creating three million apprenticeships by 2020, and for introducing the new apprenticeship levy for large employers.

The Harlow MP replaces Nick Boles as skills minister, who resigned ahead of the Cabinet reshuffle and said the achievement he was most proud of in his time in office was the “introduction of the apprenticeship levy.”

Halfon is a big believer in apprenticeships, having set up the Parliamentary Academy scheme with charity the Creative Society, which aims to broaden access to Parliament and politics by giving young people a paid apprenticeship and a recognised qualification.