On the 7th of November, the Minister of State for Employment visited South Essex College with Anna Firth MP and Sir James Duddridge MP. This followed a warm invitation from the Southend West MP in the House of Commons last week, who urged the Government to see the success of the new city first-hand.
The Minister enjoyed an in-depth tour around the college, witnessing the excellent facilities which provide innovative education whilst taking part in several exercises – including bricklaying!
The Southend MPs were keen to show off that South Essex College offers an impressive choice of academic, applied general, T-Levels and apprenticeships. T-Levels are two-year, technical-based qualifications, which integrate studying and working in industry, which helps prepare students for skilled employment.
Guy Opperman MP highlighted the importance of training up a younger generation who had a skillset fit for the current job market. In construction, manufacturing, and engineering, 1 in 3 vacancies are now hard to fill due to a shortage of skilled employees with the right qualifications or experience.
With tailored courses designed to enhance learning whilst providing solid career prospects, the Minister agreed with Southend MPs that South Essex College is exactly the kind of educational model we should be championing.
Overall, the trip was a major success. Anna Firth MP and Sir James Duddridge MP agreed that they would continue to help integrate schools and business in the local area to ensure that Southend has a skilled and resilient workforce the future.
Anna said,
“I am so pleased that the Minister for Employment was able to visit Southend today. Along with my colleague Sir James Duddridge, we showed him the very best our great city has to offer – both in terms of young people and the facility as a whole.”
“T-Levels and vocational qualifications are prepping our future generations for amazing careers and a solid income.”
“It was really kind of Sir James and Anna to invite me here to meet all the team and see the real opportunity championed at South Essex College. They have real employment skills being taught in a variety of ways, and most importantly there are vacancies out there that match these skills. We want to see those young men and women get these great jobs and get the economy going again.”
