Visiting Egger to see how the apprentice training programme is going

It was great to revisit Egger several years on from when Michael Egger and I opened the apprentice academy. It is clearly going really well and providing priceless training to the local engineers and various other specialists that are needed to keep Hexham's key employer up and running. There is no doubt that all the local apprentices I met were really enthusiastic about working there. A really uplifting visit. By way of flashback here is the announcement and opening many years ago:
http://guyopperman.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/egger-engineering-academy-another-step.html

Egger Apprentice Open Day this Thursday 3.30-6.30: go along if you want to become an engineer

https://bdaily.co.uk/industrials/19-03-2015/mp-backs-apprenticeship-drive

North East Job Figures - employment up, unemployment down NECC verdict is a big thumbs up

EMPLOYMENT UP, UNEMPLOYMENT DOWN – LABOUR MARKET FIGURES PROVIDE GREAT START TO 2015

NORTH East Chamber of Commerce (NECC) response to today’s labor market estimates.

 

Headline figures for the North East:
·         Employment in the North East stands at 1,151,000 or 69.7% – a rise of 12,000 over the quarter and increase of 33,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 73% nationally.
·         North East unemployment stands at 109,000 or 8.7% – a fall of 9,000 over the quarter and 20,000 over the year. This compares to a rate of 6% nationally.
·         The claimant count stands at 52,000 or 4.3% in the North East, compared to 2.6% nationally.
 

NECC Policy and Research Manager, Mark Stephenson, said: “Today’s figures are a great start to the year with every indicator heading in the right direction and over 30,000 more people in work than this time last year.

“Employment is at a record high for the second successive month thanks mostly to businesses while unemployment is at its lowest in over five years – down 20,000 on a year ago. The claimant count continues its long term decrease and is down over 20,000 on the year, back to its pre-financial crisis level of 2008.

“While the North East unemployment rate remains too high, moving below 9% represents a symbolic victory. In spite of the economic progress we have seen in the past two years, North East unemployment has remained largely static, so to see it falling is very encouraging. The unemployment rate dropped as fast as anywhere in the country while the increase in employment was bettered only by one other region.

“The North East business community has made the majority of this progress possible in the context of continuing retrenchment in the public sector, which just goes to underline the necessity for pro-business public policy placing a premium on development, investment, employment and growth. Ahead of a forthcoming budget and general election it is vital that political parties understand and safeguard the role that businesses play for the well-being of our country.”

Speech on budget responsibility, manufacturing, unemployment figures and labour tax plans

On Tuesday I gave a short speech in the House of Commons on balancing the books, and support for manufacturing and the growth of apprentices. Time was limited but I hope I made a few good points.

Guy Opperman (Hexham) (Con):

I support the charter for budget responsibility. I think it is a good thing and a vital part of the long-term economic plan. For four and a half years we have been faced with a Labour Opposition who have opposed every single budget reduction, and I have no faith in Labour choosing fiscal discipline in future years. As various Members have eloquently explained, the Labour party is effectively France in all but name. It wishes to have a socialist Government with higher taxes, and all the financial and economic consequences that that would bring.

This coalition Government have turned around manufacturing—we have seen tremendous increases in manufacturing, particularly in the north-east. We have infrastructure support, city deals, regional devolution on a scale not seen before, support for apprenticeships, fuel duty frozen, increases to the fairer funding formula on education, and reductions in unemployment in every constituency across the north-east, including by 50% in my constituency. We should be proud of that genuinely good record.

The consequences need to be addressed, too. The shadow Chancellor, as usual, did not answer my question. I put it to him that the north-east has the fastest rate of growth of private sector business in the autumn quarter and the highest growth in the value of exports, and it is the No. 1 exporter, with a positive balance of payments.

Gordon Birtwistle (Burnley) (LD):

My hon. Friend mentions manufacturing. Has he heard anything from the Opposition about how they intend to expand manufacturing? He will remember that they managed to reduce it from 22% of GDP to 11%. Has he heard anything about how they plan to reverse that trend, if they come to power?

Guy Opperman:

Absolutely nothing whatever. My hon. Friend and I are leading lights in the all-party apprenticeships group, which has seen fantastic work. I should probably make a declaration that I am the first MP to hire, train and then retain an apprentice as an office manager—not as an MP, I hasten to add—because she was doing a fantastic job.

On what the Opposition intend to do, we have to address the deficit. The Chancellor eloquently put it that the Leader of the Opposition is practising Basil Fawlty politics by not mentioning the deficit at every opportunity. We also have to look at fiscal consolidation. We all heard what the shadow Chancellor said today, but what did the Leader of the Opposition say only on Sunday on “The Andrew Marr Show”? He said that

“if we…cut our way to getting rid of this deficit, it won’t work”.

So there goes fiscal tightening in any way whatever.
To the clarification put to Miliband by Marr that:

“that requires a £30 billion fiscal tightening”,

he replied, “I don’t accept that.”

Whatever the Opposition say today, the reality will always be that the Labour party will introduce greater taxes and greater borrowing, and greater difficulties for our children.

On attempts to address the deficit, other Members have made the point, including my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (Mr Clarke), that raising the tax rate to 50% will not
increase the tax take by any margin and will actually disincrease investment. On the minimum wage, tax credits from the coalition have already addressed that in a very successful form and we intend to raise it. I heard on the BBC “Daily Politics” today the hon. Member for Nottingham East (Chris Leslie) proposing that his plan for addressing the deficit was an increase in gun licences. That may be laudable, I do not know, and I am sure he has fiscally costed this matter in great detail, but if that is his plan to address the entirety of the deficit, we really are in more trouble than we thought.

We were indeed fortunate to hear from the hon. Member for Rochester and Strood (Mark Reckless). It is always a pleasure to comment on his speech. I will not cast aspersions on his honour, but I will attack his memory and grasp of economics. He supported the coalition as we did the tough work from 2010.

Steve Baker:

Will my hon. Friend give way?

Guy Opperman:

I will not. I am so sorry, but I have zero time. Mr Reckless supported us then, but he does not support us now.

Good to make the case for the North East economy today - short speech in the Commons on NE business success story

The North East last year was the region with :
-         the most technology start-ups [300] outside of London,
-         and fastest rate of growth in private sector business nationally over the Autumn quarter:

Fact checker:

Technology start ups:
http://www.britishchambers.org.uk/policy-maker/blog/north-east-businesses-are-busting-the-%E2%80%98only-manufacturing%E2%80%99-myth.html

Private Sector Growth by PMI Output

The graph below shows the regional PMI Output Indexes for the UK. An average of the latest three months is used. All 12 UK regions registered an increase in private sector business activity on average over the third quarter of 2014. The fastest rate of growth was seen in the North East, while Scotland registered the slowest expansion: PMI = Purchasing Managers Index [Lloyds Bank]

 

And ….Worth making the point that we are also the region with the highest rise in the value of its exports

See: Highest rise in value of exports: http://www.thejournal.co.uk/business/business-news/north-east-exports-helping-economic-7721357

https://bdaily.co.uk/industrials/04-09-2014/north-east-exports-31-billion-worth-of-goods-in-q2/

Appearing on At the Races being interviewed about the future of racing 11.30 14th Ocotber

Long ago I recorded an interview with the racing channel At The Races and this is being aired on Tuesday 14th October at 11.30am - it is a programme called King for A Day and is all about the changes I, and other racing people, would like to see. Channel 415 on Sky, 534 on Virgin.

The return of real Apprenticeships - up in every part of the NE

I am pleased there has been a substantial rise in the numbers of apprenticeships being offered to young people in the North East.

I am passionate about apprenticeships and vocational education. They are important to help our young people find the jobs they deserve and for improving the skills of our Nation’s workforce. As such, I like many other small businesses, employ an apprentice, Jade, who has been with us in our Hexham office since 2011 and is an important and valued member of our team.

In Hexham we have seen a huge rise in the numbers of apprenticeships which is great news for young people starting out in the working world and businesses alike. Specifically there has been a 62.8% rise in the number of apprenticeship starts in Hexham from 2009/10 to 2012/13 [the last full year for stats].
This is not a pattern exclusive to Hexham, however:
- throughout the North East this pattern of success is repeated with increases in apprenticeship starts ranging all the way up to 143.1%. Overall the North East is the country's second biggest percentage increase in apprenticeship starts; at the national level we have already delivered 1.8 million new apprenticeships since 2010.
The full chart is here:
Parliamentary Constituency and % increase on apprenticeship starts from 2009/10 (Labour) to 2012/13 (Last full year under Coalition)

Berwick upon Tweed 98.0
Bishop Auckland 143.1
Blaydon 89.8
Blyth Valley 107.6
City of Durham 120.0
Darlington 132.3
Easington 111.1
Gateshead 73.5
Hartlepool 85.1
Hexham 62.8
Houghton and Sunderland South 63.4
Jarrow 73.0
Middlesbrough 95.6
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 90.6
Newcastle upon Tyne Central 80.8
Newcastle upon Tyne East 82.4
Newcastle upon Tyne North 67.7
North Durham 104.6
North Tyneside 83.1
North West Durham 121.0
Redcar 121.2
Sedgefield 115.8
South Shields 86.4
Stockton North 109.0
Stockton South 120.0
Sunderland Central 60.0
Tynemouth 86.4
Wansbeck 111.1
Washington and Sunderland West 71.6

I congratulate all who were involved in this increase and encourage those employers who have yet to hire one of our fabulous young people to do so. You won’t regret it!

Multiple awards for the Blagdon Farm shop Butchers - so buy local

Many congratulations to Daniel Lovatt and all the team at the Blagdon Farm Shop, as they win yet another award!
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/culture/food-drink-news/former-apprentice-picks-up-another-6781748
If you do not buy your meat at your local butcher you have to ask why not?
Support your local butchers, or you will lose them, however good they are. And the Blagdon Farm Shop butchers are truly exceptional. Try their sausages, in particular.

The rise of white collar apprentices is good news

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/03/rise-white-collar-apprentices-graduates
The Guardian focuses on Newcastle as National Apprentice Week shows how well this reform is going.
It is clear that school-leavers' attitudes are changing:

As one apprentice says: "People used to think that if you go on to sixth form, you go on to uni, and now people know it's not the only way."
National Apprenticeship Week is designed to raise the profile of on-the-job training.
Full praise to my Hexham Shire constituent Bob Paton, who is leading the way in the North East at Accenture.
More details of my thoughts on this in the debate I held in the House: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2013-11-27a.93.0

Why does your small business not have an apprentice?

It is national apprenticeship week, designed to celebrate Apprenticeships and the positive impact they have on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.

The objectives of National Apprenticeship Week 2014 are to:

• Increase awareness, understanding and demand for Apprenticeships.
• Celebrate Apprenticeship talent, skills, achievements and successes.
• Promote all Apprenticeship levels and progression routes, including Traineeships.

The overarching theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2014 is:

Great Apprenticeships

“Great Businesses” are made by apprentices and Apprenticeships lead to“Great Prospects.”

It is about demonstrating that Apprenticeships are great for businesses, personal careers and creating opportunities for both employers and apprentices.

I have hired, trained and then retained an apprentice. It is a great thing to do and it will help your business. The government have made this process easy, pain free (for both of you) and it will save your business money.
If you are thinking about it as an employer go here: http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/employers.aspx

Good meeting with the Chancellor this evening

Met with the Chancelor this evening and listened to his detailed report on the economy. We discussed everything from the fuel price freeze, which we urged him to continue [compare with the 10+ price hikes under Labour], taking low paid out of tax [compare with Gordon Brown and the 10p tax], creating over a million private sector jobs [on any measure more in employment as compared to the Labour years], keeping mortgage rates down, reducing the deficit and getting more apprentices coming through [mine have doubled in my area of the North East].
Yet we also discussed the possible clouds on the horizon which could be European or Middle Eastern instability, or destabilisation in the emerging markets. For now the Eurozone continues its recovery, and the Brisitsh economy is healing and growing.
One thing is clear. I listened to Ed Balls today and his policy of borrowing more and spending more would be disastrous. Not just my view but the view of every independent commentator.
Forgot to add that the line of the night was the wonderful Jessica Lee's comment. She is the MP for the Erewash constituency and stated that
"Some people may think that the G20 was the important political event of the week but for us in Derbyshire its the Erewash Jobs Fair on Thursday that counts."

TV's "The Apprentice" has very little to do with being an apprentice

Jade Scott works for me. As the first MP to hire, train and then retain with a job an apprentice, in the form of Jade, I know what she has learnt and how hard it is to be an apprentice and then have the job helping to run the Hexham office. The TV show is not like that. So to a certain degree I agree with Vince Cable, the business secretary, who said yesterday that the show was sending out the wrong message.
The fact is that apprentices have doubled in our part of the North East, the training they are doing is brilliant and it is a real success story as youth unemployment is coming down. If you want to read Vince's comments the article is here:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/10119643/The-Apprentice-has-very-little-to-do-with-apprentices-says-Vince-Cable.html