MP CONGRATULATES APPRENTICES

AS A FORMER college lecturer teaching young adults and Council education boss, local MP Angela Smith has always had a keen interest in apprenticeships.

She sees them an ideal platform for both young adults and company’s wishing to increase their skill levels.

While talking to students Lara Kimpton and Shaun Webster at Sheffield Installations she was reminded how important training can be in improving skill levels helping companies compete in a global market. A lesson many companies are re-learning after the abandonment of apprenticeships in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Nowadays companies are being assisted in their training needs by such things as the National Apprenticeships Vacancy Matching Service (NAVMS) which later this year will help bring employers together with Apprenticeship vacancies and apprentices, a for cry from 20 years ago and all part of the government’s strategy for the future of Apprenticeships in England – World Class Apprenticeships.

Commenting on her talk with the youngsters Angela said, “I was great to listen and talk to these two young people on how their training is going. They are getting first class training, leading to industry recognised qualifications, in their case charted accountant status. This has to be good.

It is so much better than what was happening, say 15 to 20 years ago when companies where stopping apprenticeships and all that was available to youngsters was sub-standard government backed schemes.

On top of this in the future we could see the school leaving age raised to 18 and all youngsters given the opportunity to further their education be it through the academic route or be it through a vocational route. Which ever route they choose the important thing is that youngsters will be learning real skills needed in the global market of today.

Angela with two young apprentices

Issued : 14 July 2008

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