Henry Smith MP has spoken in the House of Commons (10th March) to thank Crawley employers who supported his Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair earlier this month, and has welcomed the Government’s ongoing commitment to creating apprenticeships ahead of National Apprenticeship Week 2016 (14th to 18th March).
Henry said;
“I was pleased to speak in Parliament to thank Virgin Atlantic, CGG and B&CE The People’s Pension for their support for my Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair earlier this month.
“There have been around 4,200 new apprenticeship starts in Crawley since May 2010, and more than 2.6 million across England.
“I want to ensure young people have the chance to get the skills they need to get on in life. That’s why I hosted the Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair earlier this month, and is also why I’m supporting the Government’s commitment to create three million apprenticeships by 2020.”
The theme for this year’s National Apprenticeship Week is that an apprenticeship can take you anywhere, as a growing number of young people are looking to an apprenticeship as an alternative route for people who do not want to go to university.
The Government also plans to launch the new independent, employer-led, Institute for Apprenticeships. The Institute will regulate the quality of apprenticeships in England, taking on responsibility for approving new apprenticeship standards and assessment plans. Only standards that are valued by employers will be approved and funded.
Zoe Wright, Director of People and Premises at B&CE The People’s Pension, added;
“We were delighted to support and be part of Henry Smith’s Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair.
“It provided us with a fantastic opportunity to meet young aspiring talent and potentially discover the next generation of B&CE employees. We are always actively looking for our next apprentice to join our fast growing business, so we were thrilled to hear Henry Smith’s support in the House of Commons last week.
“If anyone would like to find out more about B&CE and discover some of our exciting career opportunities, they can check out our website for more information.”
Henry Smith, Member of Parliament for Crawley, asked the Minister of State for Skills;
“I commend my hon. Friend for his statement. Last Friday, I was pleased to host an apprenticeship and jobs fair in my constituency.
“Will my hon. Friend join me in thanking employers based in Crawley, including Virgin Atlantic, CGG and B&CE the People’s Pension, for sponsoring the apprenticeship fair and for all that they do in this sector?”
The Minister of State for Skills, Nick Boles MP, responded;
“I am delighted to do that, not least because the employers that my hon. Friend has mentioned demonstrate that apprenticeships are no longer narrowly confined to the traditional industries of construction or engineering.
“People can be apprentice lawyers, apprentice accountants or apprentice digital creators. Some day, they will probably even be able to be apprentice politicians.”