The Government has rejected concerns voiced by the Commons Transport Committee in its report on skills in transport manufacturing.

The Committee had warned that skills gaps are posing ‘significant challenges’.

Four of the report’s recommendations were partially accepted, including the call for Skills England to consult on the benefits of a ‘competency passport’ that would record transferable skills and help workers to move more easily between jobs.

But the Committee also said the Government ‘did not set out any specific or time-bound plans to consult the transport manufacturing sector on the potential benefits of this approach’.

Recommendations about easing spending restrictions and reintroducing funding for level 7 apprenticeships were rejected, although they have been called for by representatives from transport manufacturing.

Also rejected was a recommendation for Skills England to set out how it will support the Government’s target to increase diversity in the manufacturing sectors. Instead, the Government referred the responsibility to the Make UK Equality Taskforce without giving any indication about how long that would take.

Transport committee chair Ruth Cadbury said: ‘It’s good to see Government acknowledging the significant challenges that skills gaps present to the transport manufacturing sector. But while our report called for specific actions to help close those gaps, the Government’s response lacks any sector-specific focus. Instead, the Government references its existing programme of work which, at best, may only partially meet the sector’s demands.

‘It is also particularly disappointing that the Government has declined to impose additional employer requirements that would help improve workforce diversity in the transport manufacturing sector, especially given the evidence highlighted in the Committee’s report.

‘The Committee remains clear that more still needs be done to make the most of new opportunities in areas such as the manufacturing of electric vehicles and alternative fuels, and to respond to the opportunities presented by the Government’s flagship legislation on buses, rail and decarbonisation of transport. This is particularly important in areas where transport manufacturing is a significant local employer.  We also want to see action to improve representation and diversity across the transport manufacturing sector, and we will continue to track the Government’s progress in these vital areas.’

It is the second time in a few days that the Government has rejected some of the Committee’s recommendations. At the end of April it refused to amend the Railways Bill to clarify the relative powers of the transport secretary and Great British Railways.

The Commons Transport Committee had said that the proposed law should be changed to iron out ‘potential tension’ between the DfT and GBR, because the Bill does not prevent ministers and their officials from overruling GBR’s decisions.

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