Karin Smyth MP demands apology from Prime Minister for “failing Bristol South’s young people”
Karin Smyth, MP for Bristol South, used yesterday’s Prime Minister’s Question session in Parliament to ask the Prime Minister for an apology to young people in the area for his string of failures in providing the jobs and apprenticeships they so desperately need.
During the fiery exchange, Karin Smyth MP said:
“This Government are failing young people. Before the pandemic apprenticeship starts were down by 28% for under-19s and £330 million of unspent levy went back to the Treasury, falling short by 81% in creating the promised 100,000 new apprenticeships.”
The Bristol South MP’s question underscored the Government’s failure on this issue – and showed how she has worked with local organisations over many years to fill the gap left by central Government with their own jobs and apprenticeship fairs.
Karin Smyth, MP for Bristol South, said:
“Successive Tory Governments have failed young people in South Bristol, but none more so than Boris Johnson’s. When we needed investment into further education and apprenticeships, we saw £330 million being returned, unspent, to the Treasury to be spent on who knows what. It’s as offensive as it is inexplicable.
“So where the Government is failing, I am once again joining organisations across Bristol and stepping in. My fifth annual jobs and apprenticeships fair is a chance for the young people in the constituency to listen to expert advice, make new contacts and discover new opportunities they may never have considered before. This virtual event is supported by Bristol City College and a number of important employers, so will really help you find your way into the world of work.”
Karin’s fifth annual jobs and apprenticeship fair for the young people of Bristol South, run in conjunction with Bristol City College and local employers, will ensure that people looking for a way into further education and employment will get detailed advice and support on how they can unlock their potential.
The jobs and apprenticeships fair will be virtual this year to respect Covid-19 guidelines and ensure as many people as possible can attend. Those wishing to register their interest should visit: http://ow.ly/PuRH50DPSLH
Karin Smyth MP added:
“My hope is that we can rebuild Bristol after the pandemic to be better than ever before. This means we cannot continue, as we have for the past 11 years, to waste the talents of our young people. We must redouble our efforts to make apprenticeships the highly-valued sources of education and employment they are.”