Torbay MP Kevin Foster today (Thursday 8th March) joined South Devon College for their Apprenticeship Awards Ceremony as part of National Apprenticeship Week.
Delivering the keynote address Kevin emphasised how apprentices were the future of our bay and emphasised how it is not the lucky, but the determined who succeeded. He also presented Christian Price with the College’s Apprentice of The Year Award.
Since 2010 there have been 8,100 apprenticeship starts in Torquay and Paignton, with over 1.2 million new apprenticeship starts nationally since 2015. Take up of higher-level apprenticeships in 2016-17 was up by nearly 35 per cent compared to 2015 -16.
Apprenticeships are at the heart of the Government’s strategy to expand opportunity and develop the skilled workforce the country needs. This includes working with industry to deliver an ambitious target of 3 million new apprenticeship starts by 2020.
Kevin said: “I was delighted to join South Devon College for their Apprenticeship Awards and mark the achievements of many talented apprentices who are excelling here in the bay.
1,170 people started an apprenticeship in Torquay and Paignton over the last year and I want to see this figure grow. Apprenticeships allow people to earn while they learn, and open doors to highly skilled, rewarding careers, giving real opportunities to the next generation. Institutes of Technology will take this even further, hence I am campaigning for one to be built in Torbay.”