Gordon Marsden discusses changes required for youth employment programmes

FE News catches up with Gordon Marsden, Shadow Minister for Further Education, Skills and Regional Growth, at the Youth Employment Convention. 

Gordon discusses how a step change is required in Government Departments to give young people hope and jobs. One of the pledges from the Labour Party is to ensure every government contract worth more than £1 million also provides an Apprenticeship.   

He explains how change is also needed to provide more work experience opportunities for young people. Employers are crying out to be involved in work experience and the development of work experience programmes, he says.

According to Gordon, there needs to be a re-think on how the sector produces programmes for employment – not just for the first job role, but a succession of jobs over the course of two or three decades.  This means looking at skills and Apprenticeships, as well as looking at offers to provide jobs in the first place.

Please click on the video below to find out the latest from the Shadow Minister for Further Education:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jah5g98Tns