Yesterday the Labour government boosted apprenticeships with £3k Youth Jobs Grant for employers who take on a young person unemployed for 6 months; and a £2k bonus for small and medium sized businesses taking on a young apprentice. An extension of long term unemployed jobs guarantee to 22-24 year-olds was also announced.

𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑𝒔, 𝒘𝒆’𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕.

I left school at 16 and started my career as an apprentice, my sons the same, so I know the difference they can make.

But we’ve got to make apprenticeships work for young people leaving school. That isn’t happening and it’s contributing to the rate of young people not in education, work or training, something I’ve been campaigning on.

Why? Well given that young people leave school after their exams you’d expect most apprenticeships to quickly follow, they don’t. As it stands only about 16% of the nearly 100,000 vacancies were advertised when school leavers actually need them, from exams to the summer holiday.

Instead, the biggest peaks come in January and February, six months later! That mismatch just doesn’t make sense. We’re asking young people to be ready for work, but the opportunities aren’t ready for them.

𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈.

Around 1,600 people in Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton started an apprenticeships last year, and it will give most the pathway to a rewarding career building confidence, skills and experience.

Wishing all in the Irish community across Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton and the 70 million people around the world of Irish descent a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day.

𝘔𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰́ – 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨

It’s been another full-on week in Westminster, covering everything from supporting workers & families to protecting our communities, strengthening democracy, and backing co-operative farmers, all while keeping an eye on the big challenges facing the country abroad.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀

I raised an Oral Question to the Chancellor asking HMRC to refresh mileage rates for workers using their own cars for work. The Chancellor confirmed a review is under consideration ahead of the next Budget, a big step forward in our campaign to end this injustice.

𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗮𝘄

Parliament passed legislation abolishing hereditary peers, another manifesto pledge delivered while we modernise our democracy.

𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿

Members voted on measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill that will expand access to free school meals and help lift around 100,000 more children out of poverty.

𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁

During the votes, Parliament also backed flexible powers for ministers while the Government’s consultation continues on a possible social media ban for under-16s.

𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆

The Government set out a definition of anti-Muslim hostility to help strengthen action against discrimination and hate crime. Almost half of all religious hate crimes target Muslims, and numbers are at a record high.

𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼-𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

I pressed the Leader of the House to make time for a debate on strengthening agricultural co-operatives. Food security is national security, and co-ops have a huge role to play in building stronger supply chains.

𝗡𝗛𝗦 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝘀

Some encouraging news: waiting lists fell by 43,000 in January, down 374,000 over 18 months. Ambulance response times for heart attacks & strokes are now the fastest in five years, and A&E waits the shortest for four years, despite a hugely demanding winter.

𝗖𝗼-𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆

As Chair of the Co-operative Party, it was great to catch up with colleagues at the Parliamentary Group to keep pushing the case for co-operation and community empowerment across our economy.

Heading back home now to Oldham for the weekend to reconnect with the community, and keep listening to the people who matter most – local residents in Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton.

That’s why in the Commons yesterday I pressed the Leader of the House for time to debate how we expand farmer-owned co-operatives here in the UK.

There are around 430 agricultural co-ops in the UK, with 150,000 farmer members and nearly £10bn in annual turnover, helping deliver high-quality food produced to some of the highest welfare and environmental standards anywhere in the world.

The model works. Big players in this industry include Arla Foods with an annual turnover of around £2.5 billion, Openfield of around £600 million, & Mole Valley Farmers of around £600 million. And what do they all have in common? They are farmer-owned. This shows the power of producers working together to strengthen supply chains and back British farming.

As Chair of the Co-operative Party, I see every day how the co-operative model gives people more control over the things that matter to them; here in Oldham we know the value of that better than most, co-operative heritage runs deep.

From the Rochdale Pioneers who helped launch the modern movement, to the Co-op Group headquartered here in Greater Manchester and the many examples of the community taking control of important local assets in our borough today at Oldham Coliseum, West End Street pitches, Boundary Park & the Daisyfield Inn – our area has a proud tradition of people coming together to get a fair deal.

A stronger, co-op-shaped food system can help keep costs down for local people, strengthen our food security, and put more power back into the hands of farmers and communities.

If the Government is serious about doubling the size of the co-operative sector as pledged, we should be backing this model.

Campaign success! After sustained lobbying of Manchester Airport when raising issues with unfair parking charges, we’ve been pushing for better access for Oldhamers to good jobs at Manchester Airport.

With our local council being a shareholder and the airport being such an important institution to our city-region & the North more widely, it is right that we work with them & hold them to account.

For constituents, Manchester Airport is only 20 minutes down the road and we want to maximise the employment opportunities on offer to local people. With careers & vacancies available in security, finance, hospitality, IT and more on offer there, we want to make the most of it here in Oldham.

So contact Get Oldham Working to book your slot through the details above

I’ve been in contact with parents, teachers and young people across Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton about the impact of social media on under-16s, as a parent myself I understand the concerns raised.

The message I hear is clear: people want stronger protections for young people online.

Last night MPs voted on proposals to introduce an Australia-style ban on social media for under-16s. The amendment was rejected, with Parliament instead backing flexible powers for ministers while the government’s consultation on the issue continues.

Social media brings opportunities, but it also brings very real harms. Too often big tech companies have failed to take responsibility for the platforms they run.

Even with the Online Safety Act now in place, many people feel it doesn’t go far enough and I share the view that more needs to be done.

What matters most is getting this right: making sure young people are properly protected online and that children’s safety always comes before the interests of big tech.

If you have views on this issue, I’d really welcome hearing from you at jim.mcmahon.mp@parliament.uk.