The Government should adopt Labour’s proposals to create apprenticeships across the Eastern region, says Rachel Hopkins MP

Rachel Hopkins MP is calling on the Government to adopt Labour’s plan to create 8,271 new apprenticeships for young people in the Eastern Region ahead of National Apprenticeship Week.

National Apprenticeships Week recognises the enormous contribution made by apprentices and their employers in Luton South, giving people the chance to earn as they learn and delivering the skills our country needs to prosper. However, under the Conservatives these training opportunities have been disappearing especially for young people. The Government has overseen a decline in apprenticeship starts of 410 in Luton South since 2015/16 a fall of nearly 45%.

To reverse this downward trend and secure the skills our country needs for the future, Labour has called on the Government to introduce a wage subsidy which could have created 8,271 new apprenticeships in the Eastern Region this year. This subsidy would be funded from underspent funding in the apprenticeships levy – a charge large employers have to pay to the Government.

Backed by the Association of Employers and Learning Providers (AELP), Labour’s plan could have created 100,000 new apprenticeships for 16-24-year olds across England this year.

Rachel Hopkins MP, said:

“The sustained decline in apprenticeships under this Conservative government is failing our young people.

It’s vital to recognise the enormous contribution of apprentices and their employers in Luton South. Due to failed Conservative Party policies, our young people have missed out on opportunities to gain productive skills and contribute to our local economy.

Our young people deserve action from their government. It must adopt Labour’s wage subsidy policy to create thousands of new opportunities across the Eastern region and UK. Investment in productive skills is critical to our post-pandemic recovery.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

• National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from 7 – 13 February, has been established as an annual event which celebrates apprentices across the country.
• Local statistics on apprentice numbers are based on DfE apprenticeships and trainee data and can be found
• Creation of apprenticeships by region through wage subsidy:

Allocation of new apprenticeships is based on the size of decline in apprenticeship starts over the last decade.