Mark Eastwood MP: Apprenticeships – skills for careers

​​I held my third local Skills and Apprenticeships event last month, in conjunction with Kirklees College, at the iconic Pioneer House. It was a successful event with many local employers joining me to meet with students from across Dewsbury and Mirfield to discuss the opportunities available to them and to take part in a series of workshops on apprenticeships and enhancing their interview skills.
By Jane Chippindale
Published 26th Mar 2024, 10:22 BST
Mark Eastwood MP at his third local Skills and Apprenticeships event last month, in conjunction with Kirklees College.Mark Eastwood MP at his third local Skills and Apprenticeships event last month, in conjunction with Kirklees College.
Mark Eastwood MP at his third local Skills and Apprenticeships event last month, in conjunction with Kirklees College.

Mark Eastwood MP writes: Apprenticeships are an excellent training route that gives apprentices high-quality, hands-on training and the chance to put the skills they develop into practice every day in the workplace.

They also provide businesses with skilled workers for the future. They offer the opportunity to develop careers across a business, to recruit, train and retain future talent. For apprentices they are a brilliant opportunity to launch a career in a wide range of industries, including engineering, healthcare, and manufacturing. The success rate speaks for itself with 91 per cent of apprentices going on to secure employment or go onto further study.

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This is why promoting skills and apprenticeships is a key priority for me, working with local colleges and businesses to make sure more young people have access to apprenticeships, to earn while they learn.

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There are many opportunities for apprenticeships in our local area, with many major employers across the constituency offering quality placements, such as John Cotton in Mirfield and Jay-Be in Dewsbury. I have seen first-hand the benefits an apprenticeship can offer.

I met with the Prime Minister on a visit to a local business to discuss his recent announcement that the government will fully fund apprenticeships in small businesses.

From April 1 the government will pay the full cost of training for anyone up to the age of 21 – reducing costs and burdens for businesses and delivering more opportunities for young people to kick start their careers.

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This will also remove the need for small employers to meet some of the cost of training and saves time and costs for providers like further education colleges who currently need to source funding separately from the government and businesses.

From the start of April, the government will also increase the amount of funding that employers who are paying the apprenticeship levy can pass onto other businesses.

Apprenticeships can currently be funded by a levy paying employer transferring up to 25 per cent of their unused levy to a different employer.

Under the new measures, large employers who pay the apprenticeship levy will be able to transfer up to 50 per cent of their funds to support other businesses, including smaller firms, to take on apprentices. This will help SMEs hire more apprentices by reducing costs and enabling more employers to get the skilled workers they need while unlocking more opportunities for young people in a huge range of sectors, industries, and professions.

My team and I continue to be available to help you on any matter, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch by email or phone – [email protected] or 01924 939 007.

Thank you for reading.

Related topics:Mark EastwoodPrime MinisterDewsburyMirfield