Stuart Anderson MP Backs National Apprenticeship Week in South Shropshire
Apprenticeships have been celebrated in South Shropshire by Stuart Anderson MP. He is backing National Apprenticeship Week, which is running between 10th and 16th February 2025.
It is the 18th annual celebration of apprenticeships and skills and the contributions they make to businesses and local communities. The week of events aims to shine a spotlight on skills and training programmes delivered by the government and other partners.
Stuart has spoken of the importance of supporting more rural apprenticeships in fields such as agriculture, to ensure there is a pipeline of talent for future generations. It is part of his long-term campaign to unlock rural prosperity across South Shropshire.
In South Shropshire, there were 450 apprenticeship starts in South Shropshire last year – 140 of whom were aged under 19, 130 aged between 19 and 24, and 180 were aged 25 or older 1,020 people were undertaking an apprenticeship, and 260 achieved their qualification.
Yet, an investigation undertaken by further education journalists FEWeek has found "early signs" that apprentices are either being let go or recruitment is being put on hold as a result of damaging measures announced in the Chancellor's Autumn Budget last delivered October.
Businesses have slammed the Chancellor’s decision to increase employer national insurance contributions by 1.2 percentage points to 15 per cent from April - at the same time as reducing the level at which employers start paying the tax on salaries from £9,100 per year to £5,000.
Long-standing businesses in South Shropshire have approached Stuart, confirming the FEWeek's insights. One business said they will have to consider whether they continue to employ apprentices, something they have done for more than forty years.
The rate of job losses over the past two months has been the strongest since the global financial crisis in 2009, according to the the Purchasing Manager's Index - other than during the pandemic.
In December 2024, there were 1,335 claimants in South Shropshire, which was 2.5% of the population aged 16-64. This includes 215 claimants aged 16-64, which is up 35 claimants since the General Election.
Between 2010 and 2023, by contrast. 7,190 new apprenticeships were created in the former Ludlow constituency - with more than 5.7 million apprenticeships created across England.
To help young people find the range of opportunities available, Stuart published an 'Employment Support Finder' on his website last year. This can be found at www.stuartanderson.org.uk/employment-support. Information for businesses is available at www.stuartanderson.org.uk/business-support.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Apprenticeships provide people of all backgrounds with the opportunity to earn and learn the skills needed to start, or progress in, an exciting career. Between 2010 and 2023, over 5.3 million apprenticeships were created across England - including 7,190 in our constituency. They provide a pipeline of talent to support the rural economy in areas such as agriculture. Yet, businesses have told me recent decisions taken by the government has compromised their ability to offer these opportunities. So, I have called on the Chancellor to seize the opportunity presented by next month's Spring Statement to extend support for apprenticeships in rural areas like South Shropshire."
