Crawley stands to benefit from Labour’s Ready for Work, Ready for Life campaign, delivering an education system that is fit for the future and equips young people, adults and our economy with the skills essential for success.
Almost half of young people in Crawley are leaving education without the level 3 (A-level or BTEC equivalent) skills and qualifications that are crucial for the modern economy. While Labour was in government the number achieving these qualifications rose rapidly to 2010 but has since stalled with no national increase under the Conservatives since 2013.
This failure to develop the skills our economy needs is hitting families, empty shelves and petrol pumps, rising prices and the risks of Christmas chaos are the result of the government’s failure over the last 11 years to invest in the skills for the future.
In the sectors with the highest job vacancies in September – including health and care and wholesale – training opportunities have been in freefall. Health and care sectors have seen further education student numbers fall by over 150,000 with a fall of over 138,000 students in retail and commerce.
This trend matches the declines in government investment. Funding for apprenticeships and adult education has fallen 35% in real-terms with spending on 16 – 19 education falling 21%.
Labour have set out plans to ensure young people leave education ready for work and ready for life. Alongside protecting BTEC qualifications, Labour would put a trained careers advisor in every school to help young people make the choices that are right for them and use unspent funding from the apprenticeships levy to create 100,000 new apprenticeships this year.
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Peter Lamb for Crawley 