Damian Hinds has welcomed new figures showing 490 new apprenticeships were started by people in East Hampshire between August 2014 and January 2015. In total 2,700 new apprenticeships have been started in East Hampshire since 2010. Across England over 2.2 million apprenticeships have been started since 2010.
A future Conservative government would go even further, committing to deliver 3 million apprenticeships by 2020, funded by reducing the maximum amount that can be claimed on benefits from £26,000 to £23,000, and limiting young people’s access to housing benefit.
Damian Hinds said:
“These figures are fantastic news. 2,700 new apprenticeships since 2010 means more young people in East Hampshire getting the skills to succeed and get on in life, learning a trade, and making the most of their talents.
“We are putting apprenticeships at the heart of our long-term economic plan, funding more of them and making sure they are high quality, teaching the skills that businesses need. A future Conservative government would build on the great progress we have already made, committing to deliver 3 million more apprenticeships by 2020 and effectively to end youth unemployment.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- 2.24 million apprenticeships have been started since May 2010 (BIS Press Office, Twitter, 25 March 2015, link).
- 3 million more high quality apprenticeships by 2020. A future Conservative government would commit to deliver three million apprenticeships in the next parliament. This would be funded by reducing the befit cap from £26,000 to £23,000, and making most young people ineligible for housing benefit (Daily Mail, 27 January 2015, link)
- Youth unemployment is down 181,000 over the past year – a large fall – and 196,000 since the election. Over the last year youth unemployment has seen a large fall, dropping to 743,000 (ONS, Labour Market Statistics, 18 March 2015, link).