Kerry McCarthy joined other MPs and top public sector figures by going ‘back to the floor’ in February to get hands-on experience of what it’s like to be an apprentice.
Kerry shadowed engineering apprentices at First Trains Great Western in St Phillips, Bristol on Tuesday February 16. Engineering apprentices at First Trains Great Western gain a mixture of practical ‘on the job’ experience at the St Phillips depot and then spend a day a week developing their theoretical skills at X College. When they have completed their Apprenticeship they gain a qualification (NVQ Level 2 or 3 depending on the level of the Apprenticeship) as well as valuable work experience and more often than not they are employed by their Apprenticeship employer as a full time member of staff.
John Fripp, Apprentice Manager at First Trains Great Western, said: “Our apprentices do a great job and are very enthusiastic about what they do. The Apprenticeship gives them the opportunity of ‘on the job’ training and to gain the key skills that are needed in engineering. Offering Apprenticeships gives us the opportunity as a company to ensure that we have the skills we need in our engineering staff. As an ex apprentice myself I think it’s an excellent career path for a young person to choose and look forward to showing Kerry the fantastic work that our apprentices do.”
Kerry McCarthy MP, said: “I am very supportive of Apprenticeships and firmly believe that they are the key to ensuring that our workforce develops the right skills that businesses need and that young people leave with both a rounded set of skills and experience. It is fantastic that companies like First Trains Great Western invest in apprentices and we want to encourage more companies to do the same.”
Dr John Chudley, Regional Director of the National Apprenticeship Service, said: “We are delighted that Kerry is taking part in the ‘back to the floor’ activity and we hope she will gain a lot from the experience and learn more about what being an apprentice involves. Apprentices contribute greatly to the South West economy and we want to encourage more companies to offer more Apprenticeships so that we can continue to ensure our young people have the skills that industry needs”.
For more information about Apprenticeships, visit
www.apprenticeships.gov.uk