Labour candidate backs apprenticeships
3:01pm Tuesday 13th May 2008
LABOUR'S candidate in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election Tamsin Dunwoody has pledged her support for apprenticeships Currently one in 15 of young people in England take up an apprenticeship and Labour members said they hope to see that increase to one in five.
In Crewe that would mean 400 young people a year being trained in vital skills that will help them get jobs.
Together with John Denham, Labour's secretary of state for innovation, universities and skills, Mrs Dunwoody met local apprentices at South Cheshire College.
She said: "Like my mum, I want to see young people in Crewe and Nantwich prosper.
"The apprentices I met today have a bright future ahead of them.
"I will fight to ensure that at least one in five young people in Crewe and Nantwich are given this life changing opportunity.
"For our area that will mean 400 young people being able to take up a quality apprenticeship every year.
"I know that businesses in Crewe are already reaping the rewards of training apprentices.
"Government gives financial support to companies which take on apprentices and the business gets an extra skilled pair of hands to help them prosper.
"I promise people here that I will do my bit to ensure that local employers offer more opportunities for local young people to get a job and get on."
John Denham added: "I'm delighted to support Tamsin Dunwoody's campaign and have seen her determination to support the employers and young people of Crewe to make the most of our investment in apprenticeships.
"Just like her mum, she wants to stand up for the people of Crewe and Nantwich.
"Labour has invested to help the people of Crewe get the skills they need to get on in work and to build better lives for themselves and their families."