The Conservative-led Government has radically improved Apprenticeships so they are now a well-paid, high-quality path to skilled employment. This government has created 1.6m new apprenticeships, double the number under the last Labour administration.
Instead of being just empty qualifications, now all apprenticeships must be real, paid jobs from day one. They must last for at least 12 months and they must involve meaningful on-the-job training. Side by side with university, a rigorous apprenticeship can again be the norm for young people leaving school.
4,500 apprenticeships have been created in the Richmond constituency in just the past couple of years, more than anywhere else in Yorkshire and Humber. I visited a local car garage, Northallerton Service Centre, where I met 17 year old Jack Bendalaw, a council sponsored apprentice. Jack combines working at the garage with studies at Darlington College – a combination that will prepare him excellently for a career as a vehicle mechanic.
Jack has tremendous drive. He cycled around the industrial estate handing out CVs. Luckily he caught the eye of the garage manager who chased him down the road to get him back. With council funding to help, the garage was able to give Jack an Apprentice and the opportunity to reach his full potential.
It was great to see a young person developing knowledge about their trade with a sense of excitement and purpose about their future, and it was clear why apprenticeships are so helpful for both young people and the businesses employing them.