MP wants more apprenticeships in Hull

Hull North MP Diana Johnson today called for young people in Hull to take advantage of Labour's ambitious plan to expand and improve apprenticeships.

The appeal came as the Hull North Labour MP met John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Innovation Universities and Skills, at the House of Commons to discuss plans in the Government's Apprenticeships Review for a major increase in the number of apprenticeships.

Diana Johnson MP said: "I was pleased to discuss with John Denham the Labour Government's success in doubling apprenticeships since 1997 and our plans to expand them further.

"With 10,066 people completing apprenticeships in Yorkshire and the Humber last year, we have come a long way in expanding opportunities. However, it is vital that we get even more young people in Hull into education, training or employment if they are to be equipped for the modern jobs market. Apprenticeships are central to this.

"Many young people and employers in Hull will take advantage of the fantastic opportunities that the Government is providing to expand skills apprenticeships. I am sure that we can achieve the aim for one in five young people to be on apprenticeships within the next decade.

"The fact that people like Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Alan Sugar and Gary Rhodes are supportive shows that employers value apprenticeships as a great way to kick off a career with on-the-job training."

John Denham MP, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, said: "In this rapidly changing world, Britain will only succeed if we develop the skills of our people to the fullest possible extent. Apprenticeships have a key role to play.

"The Government's Apprenticeships Review details not only how the expansion in numbers will be delivered, but also how the quality can be improved to ensure apprenticeships can be a mainstream option for more of our workforce.

"Over the past decade we have more than doubled the number of young people and adults starting apprenticeships. Building on that, over the period to 2020, we project that apprenticeship starts will increase to at least 250,000 per year.

"This represents a major boost to our national skills base, to our ability to compete internationally, and to the prospects of those young people and adults to sustain rewarding and productive employment."

Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "When I was a young footballer, I was desperate to be full-time. But my father insisted I did my apprenticeship.

"Apprenticeships were a comprehensive education which taught young people how to be part of a workforce. They instilled the values of excellence and quality in the workplace and served British industry well throughout the years. It is sad that their demise was so swift and any attempt to revive their place in a young person's training should be welcomed and will benefit the economy for years to come."

Sir Alan Sugar said: "I am a great believer in apprenticeships because young people learn best on the job with a mentor who knows what they're doing. If British industry is going to compete with the rest of the world, we're going to need a trained workforce who are the best at what they do - that is why I back more apprenticeships for people in Britain.

Chef, restaurateur and author Gary Rhodes said: "I'm pleased to see that apprenticeships remain at the forefront of Government's policy to build a skilled workforce and welcome the findings of this Review. I have seen at first hand how pursuing an apprenticeship can be an excellent start for a successful career."