Henry Smith MP has joined a campaign to spread awareness of the opportunities that apprenticeships offer both to young people and to businesses, ahead of the Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair at the Civic Hall on Friday, 4th March, from 10am until 3pm.
The campaign, the Parliamentary 100 in 100, led by Nadhim Zahawi MP as the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Apprentices, will see an announcement by an MP every day for 100 days in support of the scheme.
Henry said;
“Apprenticeships offer a great opportunity for local businesses to help develop the careers of talented young people here in Crawley, and ensuring their workforce of the future has the skills it needs.
“I was interested to learn that people such as Jamie Oliver, Stella McCartney, and Sir Alex Ferguson all started their careers as apprentices – as well as many leaders in business.”
The Crawley MP is one of 100 who has joined the fight, pledging to champion apprenticeships, and to ensure that local residents benefit from the increasing number of quality apprenticeships on offer, as the Government heads toward its target of three million apprenticeship starts by 2020.
Henry will be hosting the Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair at the Civic Hall on Friday, 4th March. The Fair is open from 10am until 3pm, and entry is free to all jobseekers.
Henry added;
“I am grateful to all who will be taking part including event sponsors B&CE The People’s Pension, Virgin Atlantic and L-3 Link Simulation & Training.
“It’s no accident that Crawley unemployment has fallen by 60 per cent over the last five years. Companies such as those attending the Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair next month have a vital role to play in economic growth.
“While recent figures show that there have been more than 4,000 apprenticeship starts in Crawley since 2010, I’m well aware that there’s more to be done.”
Nadhim Zahawi MP, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Apprentices, added;
“I am delighted that Henry Smith MP is backing apprenticeships in Crawley.
“We delivered more than 2.3million apprenticeships starts during the last Parliament, which is a record to be proud of. But for every single one of those apprenticeship starts, there was a person gaining new skills, and hands on experience, giving them a brighter future.
“This is why it is so important to ensure that Crawley is a key part of the drive toward the three million, ensuring that even more opportunities are created, and I am delighted that Henry will be doing just that.”
External links:
Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair