Henry Smith MP welcomes 9,700 new apprenticeships in Crawley since 2010

The Crawley MP supports the Government’s belief that everyone should have access to the high-quality education and training they need to build a brighter future, whether through study or work.Each new apprenticeship helps students to develop their skills, improve their earnings, and establish long and successful careers.

Henry Smith MP has welcomed figures showing that 9,700 new apprenticeships have been created in Crawley by Government since 2010.

Between 2010 and 2023, 9,700 new apprenticeships have been created in Crawley and over 5.3 million apprenticeships have been created across England.

Henry said: “Apprenticeships are fantastic ways for students to enter the world of work, helping them to build new skills and gain vital industry knowledge – all while being paid.

“It is brilliant news that 9,700 new apprenticeships have been created in Crawley since 2010 thanks to successive Governments – as part of the drive to improve skills and productivity in our economy.

“Behind a figure such as this are people whose lives have been changed by their apprenticeship and I’ve been delighted to meet with Crawley apprentices in Parliament to mark National Apprenticeship Week.

“Each new apprenticeship means another student building the skills and knowledge they need for a long and successful career.”

As well as driving up the number of people boosting their skills through apprenticeships, the Government’s reforms are also improving the quality of apprenticeships. £2.3 billion of additional funding has been announced for 2023-24 and 2024-25 – with colleges that deliver skills and training getting the most focused support.

Alongside reforms to apprenticeships, the Government has introduced T-Levels and established 12 Institutes of Technology. T-Levels provide students with vocational options as rigorous and robust as A-Levels, whilst Institutes of Technology will be the pinnacle of technical training.

As collaborations between universities, colleges and business, they will specialise in delivering quality, higher level technical training in STEM subjects, opening the door to highly-skilled careers.

In addition to Institutes of Technology already in operation, the Sussex & Surrey Institute of Technology is one of nine further sites in development.

The Sussex & Surrey Institute of Technology has received more than £14 million of investment from the Government and will include a new state-of-the-art centre at Crawley College.

The Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, commented: “My apprenticeship was my golden ticket. It gave me a unique insight into how a business operated, from the shop floor to the boardroom. I learnt the skills that businesses truly value and it launched my career in international business.

“This National Apprenticeship Week I hope more people learn about the incredible opportunities available in everything from engineering to healthcare. Whatever career goals you aspire to, they can be achieved through an apprenticeship which can take you all the way up to masters degree level.”