Column: Investment in apprenticeships is vital for the future of Eastwood

It was brilliant to look round Caunton’s newly refurbished training facility and speak with apprentices about their training and career pathways. The Caunton Academy has successfully delivered more than 100 apprenticeships in fabrication and welding since its first launch in 2004.

I was very impressed that almost a quarter of Caunton Engineering’s workforce joined as apprentices. This means that local talent is being trained and retained in our area, which is good for the business and good for Eastwood.

The Labour Government is matching the ambition of both employers and young people by investing in apprenticeships and making it easier for young people to start an apprenticeship.

This Government is already making progress, getting more people into apprenticeships with 353,500 apprenticeship starts in the first year of this government – 13,920 more than the year before (2023/24).

The Government is making the system more agile and responsive to what employers need by making it easier for apprenticeships to be updated and new short courses developed for sectors critical to delivering major infrastructure and investment projects. This means the time it takes to make these changes will be reduced from up to 18 months down to just three months.

The Government also making it easier for young people to get an apprenticeship, with a new university clearance-style system will ensure that young people who narrowly miss out on their first-choice apprenticeship are redirected to similar opportunities nearby. A new online platform will bring together clear information on apprenticeships, including data on earnings and career progression, so applicants can make informed decisions.

Getting young people into high-quality jobs with real prospects is essential for Eastwood’s future, and apprenticeships will be key to achieving that.