Norwich North MP Chloe Smith.

Norwich North MP Chloe Smith in rallying cry for apprenticeships to tackle youth unemployment

Dan Grimmer Saturday, February 4, 2012
6:30 AM

A rallying cry has been issued to businesses around Norwich to take on more apprentices, as an MP prepares to launch a survey to find out the challenges young people in the city have experienced in finding jobs.

Norwich North MP Chloe Smith, right, is joining forces with City College Norwich and Job Centre Plus to try to encourage more companies to take on young people. Coinciding with National Apprenticeships Week, the Conservative MP will be visiting businesses around Norwich to highlight the benefits of providing apprenticeship schemes.

But she has also appealed for young people who have found it tough to get into the world of work to let her know the problems they have faced, whether its lack of opportunities or a need for more guidance in getting qualifications.

Miss Smith said: “First of all, we need to help businesses grow and create jobs - step by step, one by one. If a business can take on one extra person, that means a job for someone.

“Young people want to work, and there are opportunities out there for them. Too often, I find that both young people and their potential employers are unaware of how much help is now available to help young people into employment.

“I urge businesses in Norwich of all sizes to look at the potential benefits of providing apprenticeships.”

A recent National Audit Office report found for every pound invested on work based training schemes, an average return of £18 is generated.

Government schemes attempting to tackle unemployment among young people include a wage subsidy paid to more than 150,000 18 to 24-year-olds and guaranteed unpaid work placements through a work experience scheme.

Norfolk County Council is also planning to set aside a £3m pot which can be used to subsidise the wages of apprentices taken on by small and medium sized businesses in the county.

But Miss Smith, who is planning to launch a survey into youth unemployment later this week, added: “I want to hear from young people too. Tell me what holds you back from work. Lack of opportunities? Not sure how to get the right qualification? I want to hear from you so that we can all pull together – young people, businesses, colleges, politicians, and the Norwich community – to solve this problem.

“Helping businesses to grow and young people into jobs is the single biggest issue for me as a local MP this year. It’s too important to be ignored.”

City College Norwich is working with Miss Smith and Dick Palmer, principal, said getting young people an experience of the world of work was essential.

He said: “City College Norwich aims to give all of our students access to experiencing the world of work, whilst they study at the college, and we provide around 1,500 work placements/internships a year which support this aim of student employability.

“We also support around 800 current apprentices and are working with the Gazelle group of colleges to look at two new forms of placement – an enternship and intrapreneur – which look to develop the entrepreneurial skills of our students whilst in the workplace.”

The value of apprentices was highlighted by Andrew Barnes, managing director of Colegate-based Howes Percival solicitors,

He said: “It is obvious that apprenticeships can bring real benefits to businesses and it is not surprising that the number of apprenticeships has increased significantly over the last year or so.

“The National Apprenticeships Week is clearly an important chance for Norfolk businesses to link up with talented young people who can learn the skills the businesses need to improve their bottom line.”

And Julia Nix, district manager of East Anglia Direct Jobcentre Plus said: “I am absolutely delighted that Chloe has committed to work closely with Jobcentre Plus to help the young people of Norwich.

“She will be involved on a practical level engaging with young people to understand the barriers they face whilst looking for work in today’s job market.

“Working together we will ensure that our young people have a voice and the opportunity to influence how Jobcentre Plus services are delivered to them in their local area.

“We are keen to work with partner organisations and employers to support our commitment to young people and would invite anyone interested to contact us.”

Before Christmas the number of 16-to-24-year-olds looking at work hit the million mark, which led to calls for the government to take urgent action.

• Young people from Norwich who want to let Chloe Smith know the challenges they have faced in getting work should email chloe@chloesmith.org,uk

• Are you looking for a job? Make sure you get the Evening News on Wednesdays for our Jobs24 section and visit the website at www.jobs24.co.uk

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12 comments

Who`s Thatch? Is it that evil woman who destroyed British Industry and invented the "Buy to let to the DSS" Industry by giving away Council houses to things that now infest Benidorm? God help us all.

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Mad Brewer

Monday, February 6, 2012
yes, ak. totally agree. my son asked twice on a scheme for an apprenticship and twice he was knocked back. Chloe wants our young to talk to her, but i cannot see it happening the way the majority of our your young people feel. if the job centre ( but to be fair to them, with mass unemployment, they proberbly have not got the time to care) and the placements they are put at also have to deal with a room full of unemployed (all they need is a dog to shepherd them about, they are just a number to them) what chance do they have. you cannot just blame this goverment .previous goverments should take some blame as well. what annoys me is the discrimination on our young by david cameron "if your neighbours curtains are still closed at 9am they are unemployed". this is discrimination and on certain other issues we cannot discrimanate. look after your people who live here and help them mr cameron and stop your goverment from putting our young down and help them more. your feel good campaign need cost you nothing you know how we feel.

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carol stead

Sunday, February 5, 2012
Quite agree. Don't diss the Thatch! She sorted out the UK after an earlier Labour Government left it it almost as bad a state as the more recent one. She did not close down the mines, Manufacturing etc, the workers (Not all of them , just the vocal minority) and the unions did this by making us uncompetitive with other countries. It is soul destroting for youngsters at the moment (I have one at home who would love to have work), but unfortunately they are all tarred with the same brush and the ones who want to work and could work suffer because of the ones who did nothing at school, obtained no useful qualifications and made it easier for companies to employ hard working imigrant labour

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DaveG

Sunday, February 5, 2012
to call for more action on employment is not enough chloe . At the moment your policy on jobs is no better than the labour parties. Talk is no good . Its action what is needed. And your coalition looks a long way from that at the moment

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milecross

Sunday, February 5, 2012
Chloe Smiths own Conservative party is causing such high levels of unemployment. If you are a company in financial trouble are not in the Car Industry or Banking sector, thanks to the conservatives with 20% VAT and high business rates and rents it is no wonder companies call in the administrators. Don't the Conservatives get it? There is no point in apprenticeships when there are no jobs for them to have at the end of it. Apprenticeships are a good way for this Government to mask the true figures of unemployment...

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chebram71

Saturday, February 4, 2012
De-industrialisation along with globalisation and the outsourcing agenda, has left Blighty dependent on 79% of its workforce relying on the service industries to tick along . Some hold the belief that the service economy can be compared to a dog fallen into a swimming pool, at first the dog seems fine paddling away in different directions trying to find its way out of the pool. Eventually the dog tires and begins to struggle and panic, the more it panics the less strength it has to stay afloat, after awhile the dog starts to sink, bobbing and finely disappears, leaving behind a few ripple effects.

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nrg

Saturday, February 4, 2012
Dont diss The Thatch.

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bookworm

Saturday, February 4, 2012
Don't bother with apprenticeships, join a political party.learn the art of public speaking and get yourself noticed. Miraculously get yourself elected due to the usual voter disillusionment "with the last lot" and get into Westminster..When a vacancy inevitably occurs you find yourself being offered a ministerial job in government. Under no circumstances consider working for a living,even if you find a potential apprenticeship post the amount of government interference and red tape will ensure you won't get it anyway. Failing this,start a family preferably with at least 6 kids and the state will pay for everything. problem solved! Making things and creating real wealth doesn't happen here any more, the Germans make it better and the Chinese make it cheaper!.

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Harry Rabinowitz

Saturday, February 4, 2012
would have had a good few Apprenticeships if Thacther had not sold off British Gas,Eletric,Water and others ..council houses

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dontcare.com

Saturday, February 4, 2012
yes i agree with never hearing or for this week my son was told that on two occasions they were over subscribed. One of them he was put forward last november, so how did that happen. its down to funding as always. this leaves my son very depressed as he wants to work but can not find anything to do come on government SORT IT OUT NOW

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ak

Saturday, February 4, 2012
Even when they are lucky to get an interview, they are not even told if they have been successful or not. They tell them we will let you know either way and never hear anything again. How dis heartning for them. Dosent take long to send an email!!

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Beezers

Saturday, February 4, 2012
??? a bit behind the times isnt she david cameron has been on about this for months !!! or has she now found spare time on her hands while the foot heals ????

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stephen watson

Saturday, February 4, 2012