I’m proud to have started my career as an apprentice, and my sons have followed the same path. I know the power it can have in transforming people’s life chances and delivering the services communities need. For too long skills haven’t been taken seriously and the Tories kicked away the ladder for working class kids by this lack of focus and by scrapping maintenance grants.
With a Labour government, the change begins. This has to be the start of that change and further progress follows, for instance on the disconnect between apprenticeship opportunities and the academic year leading to gaps, sometimes significant between young people leaving school and being able to get on into the world of work and training.
The start of this work includes:
a new target – 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 after leaving school
targeted 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 for disadvantaged students
More than 40,000 future builders, bricklayers, electricians, carpenters and plumbers will get cutting edge skills to get Britain building at state-of-the-art 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘀
Establishing 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 to ensure better coordination between different areas of education & industry and apprentices are best prepared for jobs of the future
Boosting local economic growth, 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴-𝘂𝗽 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀, and extending opportunity to all
The last Labour government set the ambitious target of getting 50% of kids to university which was met in 2019, when half of those under the age of 30 had gone into higher education. However, we know this target is no longer right for our times.
Putting both technical and academic pathways on a level playfield is right for the future of our economy and right for our young people. This target also includes seeing at least 10% of young people pursuing higher technical courses or apprenticeships by 2040 – nearly double the current level.
The Tories scrapped maintenance grants, kicking away the ladder for working-class kids and discouraging so many from going to university or college. That’s why we’re bringing targeted grants back.
We prioritised good jobs at the election for the people of Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton because we want local people to have more opportunities & drive up their living standards. From establishing Skills England, to ending fire-and-rehire, banning exploitative zero-hour contracts, and increasing the National Living Wage rising by £1400; Labour is committed to the providing opportunity to the next generation.
This government is ambitious for all our young people, no matter their background or what they wish to pursue in their career.
Work to transform technical education is not just being done at a national level. Mayor Andy Burnham’s plan to create an equal alternative to the university route in Greater Manchester called the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate will mean two equal routes at 14 – one academic, one technical. I pay tribute to the work here in Greater Manchester where the Mayor, Andy Burnham, has been leading the charge.
Our Plan for Change matches people’s desire for change and is working, shown by the fact the UK is the fastest growing economy in the G7 and our city-region is the fastest growing in the UK – these latest reforms will take that progress further.
Jim McMahon OBE MP 