Keighley and Ilkley’s MP Robbie Moore has hosted a roundtable discussion with major business leaders in Westminster on the importance of skills training and to explore innovative policy solutions to create more manufacturing, engineering and tech opportunities across Keighley and the wider area.
The roundtable brought together a range of big businesses, including the Co-op, Sodexo, Reed in Partnership, education firm Pearson, the Purpose Coalition and others.
Key recommendations from the session included creating a University application-like service to apply for apprenticeships, reform to the apprenticeship levy, a greater focus on training those who are economically inactive but want to work, and sending those in industry to schools and colleges to provide jobs and skills advice to students.
In the coming weeks, Mr. Moore will be publishing a report from the session, summarising key policy recommendations and ideas of how to deliver more manufacturing, engineering and tech jobs, and create more apprenticeship opportunities in his constituency and across the country. The report will be issued to the Department for Education.
Keighley and Ilkley’s MP Robbie Moore said:
“It was brilliant to host business leaders from across the UK in Westminster for a roundtable discussion on how we can increase manufacturing, engineering and tech opportunities in our area and indeed across the entire UK.
Securing better jobs for all across Keighley, Ilkley, Silsden and the Worth Valley has been one of my top priorities, and it was great to see business leaders highlight the importance of vocational training like apprenticeships and T-levels. I will be feeding all the key recommendations and policy ideas directly to Ministers and Officials.
I am determined to deliver on the skills agenda, back our local businesses and ensure that everyone across our area has great opportunities available to them - and this morning was all about discussing how we can deliver on that.”
Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Secretary of State for Education said
“Robbie is a passionate and energetic campaigner who is determined to secure more manufacturing, engineering and tech based jobs for his area. Businesses across the UK have the knowledge, ideas, best practice required to improve people’s lives for the better, and I am delighted to be working with Robbie to deliver on levelling up on the ground and to be helping influence government policy on the skills agenda.”
