Good visit to thriving Prudhoe business Tyne Valley Plastics - and meet 2 former Hexham QEHS students doing apprenticeships

I went to Prudhoe 2 weeks ago to get to know the local business Tyne Valley Plastics, and meet their employees. The business is based in low Prudhoe and is a bespoke plastics business that provides a specialist local service and great local employment. I also got a better understanding of how the December floods had affected low Prudhoe, and was able to update as to how we are trying to ensure that this does not happen again.
Given that it is National Apprenticeship Week this last week it was also good to hear the stories behind how James Whitmore and Sam Stoves became Apprentices in the business. Both went to school at Hexham QEHS and are clearly relishing their new role. Great credit is due to the team at Tyne Valley Plastics for giving these two young men their opportunity, which they are clearly relishing. Apprenticeships have changed: you can earn, and learn now on a long term basis emerging with real skills, and real opportunities. Both James and Sam were clearly enjoying their first jobs, first proper pay packets and all the responsibility that employment brings. 

The Apprenticeship Revolution Continues - lots of good apprenticeship news in national Apprenticeship week

This coming week is National Apprenticeship Week, a time when all businesses should be thinking doubly hard about taking on an apprentice. In the last government we created 2.4 million apprenticeships, and under this one we are aiming even higher – looking to deliver 3 million apprenticeships by 2020.

Apprenticeships offer an outstanding opportunity for young people. They are real jobs with a real wage, offering an opportunity to gain valuable work experience, genuine skills, and finally lead to recognised qualifications.

They are just as good an opportunity for employers, with 70% of participating businesses saying that apprenticeships had improved the quality of their products or services. As the first MP to hire, train, and retain an apprentice, I too can testify to the great service apprentices provide, as well as the youth and enthusiasm they bring to any workplace. Small businesses concerned about taking on the responsibility, can also receive Government funding; ensuring they have a stronger and better skilled workforce.

Apprenticeships are now offered in more than 170 industries, and employers are in the driving seat of reforms. Employer trailblazer groups are developing the new apprenticeship standards, ensuring that apprenticeship training really is exactly what employers want. These new industry standards range from nuclear engineers, to fashion assistants, live event technicians, personal trainers and welders – there are thousands of current opportunities.

Beyond this we can still do more, and that is why, this week, I am asking any and every employer across Tynedale to consider taking on an apprentice. There were 660 apprenticeship starts across the area last year, and together we can make this year even better for our aspiring young people by providing even more.  

Proud to support Core Music in Hexham, who provide training, real craftsmanship and great musical instruments

I recently visited Core Music, in Hexham, to see first-hand the great work they are doing as part of their Ucorelele project. The scheme is focussed on the manufacture of ukuleles out of wood that otherwise would have been thrown away. This of course is brilliantly environmentally friendly, and an excellent example of sustainability in action.

However, it does not stop there. The project also employs and trains long-term unemployed in the area, helping to provide those people with new skills, and increase volunteering within the community. The ukuleles themselves are sold in Core Music’s shop in Hexham, which is also an excellent place to try, and buy instruments. All money made goes straight back into community projects.

This social enterprise creates unique musical instruments to play, and supports our community both environmentally, and through tackling unemployment. It was great to look around the facility, and if you are ever passing by - pop in and have a go! More importantly if you want to back the project financially or in any other way then this support is both really needed and very welcome. 

Link to the Core Music website: http://www.coremusic.co.uk/

Engineering in the North East - we need to be smarter and more competitive than everyone else

Two weeks I went to Global Manufacturing Supplies, an engineering firm based in Prudhoe.

http://www.gms-uk.com/

It was a fascinating visit and I learnt a lot.

As an MP I visit a lot of businesses, both locally here in Tynedale but also across the wider North East and the country as a whole. I meet everything from one man [or woman] bands to huge employers like Egger, OGN, SCA and Nissan. The really interesting businesses, however, are the ones in the middle: these are the ones that we need to thrive and survive. These are the SMEs that really drive our economy, and none more so than in the North East.  

In addition, on a regular basis I meet with the North East Chamber of Commerce, the Local Enterprise Partnership and other support organisations to find out what they want from the Chancellor, and how I as a local MP can help. I hold skills fairs, and jobs fairs like the one last week to do my bit and get young and old further and better employment: http://guyopperman.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/jobs-fair-today-10-4pm-at-beaumont-in.html

I come from an engineering background. My family were engineers and gear manufacturers who started in a single room London basement: http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Opperman_Gears  

Albeit, I accept that I am no engineer, the business of engineering and manufacturing - and the challenges of doing this in the global age - fascinate me. More importantly in the North East these types of businesses create and sustain a key part of our economy.

I can talk the talk that

- UK employment numbers are the best in Europe,

- that our unemployment is half that of France and our Euro competitors,

- that youth unemployment is down

- that apprenticeships locally have doubled

- and that FE providers like Kirkley Hall have seen their numbers go from 300 to 900  

But to misquote Jane Austen it is a truth universally acknowledged by some manufacturers that cheap imports are making it tough to compete in the global market. So how can we survive in a global world? To an extent this is right - if a core commodity is cheaper to produce elsewhere the customer tends to buy from the cheaper producer. Twas ever thus. But where we in the UK, and in Tynedale, are getting clever is our approach to competitiveness, and innovation.  The defining characteristic of GMS is their ability to provide competitive solutions to established manufacturing companies. This is a classic example of British innovation tackling a traditional industry and producing a company that is innovative and radical. It also employs over 25people in Prudhoe, supports a lot of good local causes as part of its commitment to the local area, and makes a profit. I am pictured with Owen and Andrew outside the premises. An interesting morning.

 

Apprenticeships in the North East are transforming the jobs market for young and old

North East apprenticeships have doubled over last ten years. In the North East 30,480 young people started an apprenticeship last year compared to just 13,460 a decade ago in 2005/6 latest figures
show. Two million apprenticeships have been created in the UK since 2010, with 143,000 young people in the North East now getting solid training to start their careers.

In Northumberland 16,640 apprenticeships have been created since 2010, the second highest in the region, behind Durham which has seen a record 28,290 apprenticeships since 2010. In Newcastle 11,670 new apprenticeships have been created since 2010

Figures recently released by the Skills Funding Agency and Department for Business, Innovation & Skills show that in the Hexham constituency 670 apprenticeships were started, compared to 430 in 2009. Just about every set of facts and figures tells the same story. Apprenticeships are up across our region and helping to end the scourge of youth unemployment we saw under the last government. Unemployment is down by over 36% since the 2010 General Election and youth unemployment has also fallen.

When I first became an MP in 2010 one of the key messages I was hearing from business was that as a region we were failing to provide our young people with the skills they needed for work. It will be a
long road to completely turn it around, but we are doing very well. 

RPC - biggest employer in Haltwhistle and a thriving plastics business

RPC are based in Plenmeller, and create a vast amount of sophisticated plastics products that are seen on the High Street, from Nestle to Unilever, as well as larger commercial plastic containers. Ian Hutchinson, the local County Councillor, came too and we are going to work together to ensure that local issues, like the broadband the business needs, and any issues with English Heritage are sorted.

There was a great atmosphere in the factory - with everyone purposeful and supportive of a longstanding local business. Best of all almost all the staff are from Halty, and many have worked there a long time; I met many of the team from management downwards as we spent nearly 2 hours in the factory chatting to employees and getting to know the business.
There was a good report on the business this week in the Courant: http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/plenmeller-the-firm-with-a-lot-of-bottle-looks-for-engineers-of-the-future-1.1188701

RPC is the biggest employer in the area by a big margin. RPC is growing and I will do everything possible I can to help it thrive and survive.

Cruddas contribution and assessment of the welfare debate as job numbers improve year on year

I occupy a unique position in the House of Commons. My office in Room 101 in Norman Shaw North has two neighbours. On my right is the ultra pragmatically Labour chair of Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East.

On my left is Jon Cruddas, Labour MP for Dagenham: he is the head of Ed Miliband’s policy unit. I have shared debates with him - including the 10th March event with the Equality Trust and the authors of the keystone book - The Sprit Level. It is hard not to be impressed by Cruddas - he is a genuine thinker.

On 21 June Cruddas was speaking to Compass, a left-wing policy group, and was recorded speaking frankly about the Labour policy review: he was very critical. Cruddas said:

‘We managed in the political world to condense it into one story about a punitive hit on 18 to 21-year-olds around their benefits. That takes some doing, you know, a report with depth is collapsed into one instrumentalised policy thing which was fairly cynical and punitive… And instead instrumentalised, cynical nuggets of policy to chime with our focus groups and our press strategies and our desire for a top line in terms of the 24-hour media cycle dominate and crowd out any innovation or creativity.’

The Labour spokeswoman, Rachel Reeves’ plan is to deny the dole to the under-25s unless they go to study for some exams to take them up to Level 3 (the equivalent of an A-Level). Will this be effective or is it a gimmick, even though a massive proportion have no GCSEs?
The Coalition plan is based on apprenticeships and work. Each day, the UK employment count is rising by 2,000. In addition, Youth unemployment is falling at the fastest rate in 15 years:
Cruddas makes it clear that Miliband and Reeves do not have answers to Britain’s serious problems.
Hexham JSA Claimant rate is down 31.1% on last year
Indeed throughout the North East every constituency is seeing an improvement in job numbers and JSA claimants. The plan is working.

Apprenticeships are the key to changing the jobs market and here is why

Since 2010 the number of Apprentices has doubled and become a new norm for school leavers. However, I know that locally when I talk to small businesses who haven’t yet taken the plunge and hired an apprentice their main worry is whether they’ll be buried in paperwork. The good news is that under this Government employing an apprentice is now simpler than ever. Not only that but we have also put employers in the driving seat of designing new apprenticeships so that in future they will work even better for both employers and apprentices. If you want to read more detail about the effectiveness of these reforms, the Minister’s latest speech on apprenticeships, may be helpful: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/apprenticeships-training-young-people-for-jobs-of-the-future.

A few highlights though are that so far:

·         1.7 million apprenticeships have been delivered, and we are on track for 2 million over the course of this Parliament.
·         There has been an increase of 103,300 in the number of employers taking on apprentices since 2009/10 (representing an increase of 45.2%).
·         And, the number of high quality, full apprenticeships has doubled among young people aged between 16 and 18, from 53,600 in 2009/10 to 110,900 in 2012/13.

The next step in this process is reforming the funding of apprenticeships so that employers can take the lead on both standards and training. This will mean that colleges, training providers and universities will need to provide the training employers need to fulfil the standards they have set. It will also dramatically simplify the funding rules and processes.

But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here is what thirty-five leading trade organisations and businesses – large and small – wrote in a letter to the telegraph:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/10807977/Employers-need-to-control-the-funds-to-make-apprenticeships-useful.html

 

You can watch my question to the Prime Minister yesterday here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/bigscreen/tv/episode/b03mjfl1
Exactly 26 minutes in.

Transcript of Debate on creating Skills and Apprenticeships in N East

My thanks for all the help in the drafting; the full transcript is here:
http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2013-11-27a.93.0&s=speaker%3A24962#g93.1

My thanks for help writing the speech on creating skills and apprenticeships in the N East

My thanks to everyone who has got in touch with ideas, opinions, comments and contributions, in particular Accenture's Bob Paton, Ross Smith of the NECC, the team behind the Adonis Report, the local employers like SCA, the team at the Department for Business, the FSB, and even the team at the Department for Education who heards about the debate and were keen to plug their early years apprenticeship bursary scheme.
Bob Paton is both my constituent, and the key driver of the dramatic rise in apprenticeship numbers at Accenture in the North East. He took specific time out of his busy schedule to come to Westminster to brief me today.
The debate is 11am in westminster hall. Still drafting as I update the blog - the key is to try and condense all that there is to say on such a subject into less than 15 minutes, which is the time limit of the speech.  

Egger Engineering Academy - another step in the skills revolution

There is so much that is happening on skills, apprenticeships and training in the North East at the moment. Ten days ago I helped Michael Egger open his new Academy in Hexham. It is incredible and full of locals people learning key skills in their home town. I add this on to the great work of Northumberland College, the doubling in apprentice numbers locally, and the many chances being created by local businesses and I see local jobs being created in niche engineering and specialist skills that will provide the growth we need. I met several of the lads who are in their early stages of the apprenticeships and they were all loving it.
Full story here: http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/egger-unveils-4m-investment-at-hexham-site-1.1092925

Opening Engineering Facility and Training Academy opening at EGGER on Friday

Hexham will see new jobs, apprenticeships, and investment in both an academy and local people unveiled this Friday. I am very excited to be part of this opening. EGGER employ over 500 people locally and is the key employer in west Tynedale. I have been round the site many times and met the teams.
EGGER is the largest manufacturing employer in all of Northumberland and is part of a Europe wide business. They have invested tens of millions of pounds into the the Hexham site in recent years.
The site provides one of the most technically advanced wood particleboard plants in Europe.


The opening of our new Engineering Facility and Training Academy will help develop skills, and underlines the companies commitment to investing in the area, their ongoing operations and their employees.
The training academy will allow them to continue developing apprenticeship, graduate and employee training schemes.
The way out of the recesssion is through good local businesses investing in their site, their products and most of all their people. I am really pleased for everyone involved and looking forward to meeting all the employees on Friday.

Specifics on child care, pupil premium and apprenticeships

The wealthiest bear the greatest burden of taxation and that resources are targeted at to those most in need. That to me is compassionate conservatism. For 13 years under Labour the top tax rate was 40%. It is now 45%. And on the specificvs of how the state spends its money we are targetting resources:

Take nursery education: the spending round confirmed that the government will continue to fund free childcare places for 3 and 4 year olds and that it will extend this to the most disadvantaged 2 year olds later this year. What a contrast to Labour’s legacy of unaffordable childcare, where working mothers would only break-even on childcare costs after working for 4 months.

The pupil premium: which is being protected in real terms. This allows schools to provide targeted support to disadvantaged pupils. The conservative element is that headteachers get to decide how best the £900 per pupil is spent.

Apprenticeships: and again the government is directing funds to give young people the skills they need to succeed. Locally apprenticeship starts have increased by  over 50 per cent in the last year.

Real terms growth in the NHS and social care budgets show a commitment to the social contract with the British people. This is a social contract, not a socialist contract. Increased NHS spending is being combined with stripping out unnecessary tiers of management and bureaucracy, and enhancing patient choice.

Pensions: Towards the end of the life cycle, the triple lock guarantee that the basic state pension increases each and every year by the highest of earnings, prices or 2.5 per cent.

Compassionate Conservatism is not just about spending. The chancellor’s cradle to grave conservatism is matched by tough reforms to the welfare state, the introduction of Universal Credit, and getting 1.5 million people back into work. Wealth has been redistributed from the rich to the poor by raising the tax threshold to £10,000. The rich have been taxed more every year under this government than they ever were under Gordon Brown, confirmed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Cradle to grave conservatism is not a left-wing agenda. It is in the great tradition of conservative social reform. It is possible to be a compassionate government without saddling future generations with debt