Apprenticeships can provide a fantastic opportunity for young people to get on in life and can raise the productivity of the businesses they join. I am pleased there has been over 1,300 apprenticeship starts in our local area and overall we have seen the biggest ever boost with 2 million apprenticeship starts since 2010. This great achievement fulfils the Government’s commitment to starting 2 million apprenticeships in this Parliament and underlines how seriously giving people the skills they need to get on in life is taken by this Government.
However, the progress does not stop there and a future Conservative Government would go even further. The Conservative Government has set an ambition of 3 million apprenticeships by 2020 and I will continue to work with the Government and our excellent local providers to ensure that Finchley and Golders Green continues to benefit from the increase in apprenticeships.
Over the past 5 years, I have held an annual Apprenticeship & Jobs Fayre every year which has been open to local constituents of all ages across the constituency.