Rochdale Observer

Lifetime Skills will help access better jobs: MP

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THE MP for Heywood and Middleton has said people across the borough will get the chance to retrain and find new, well-paid jobs as part of the Government’s new Lifetime Skills Guarantee.

The plans, unveiled by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a speech last week, will provide adults in England without an A-Level or equivalent qualificat­ions the opportunit­y to take up a free, fully-funded college course.

Alongside this, the Government is also making higher education loans more flexible, allowing people to space out their study across their lifetimes and take more high-quality vocational courses.

Chris Clarkson, Conservati­ve MP for Heywood and Middleton has welcomed the plans.

He said: “I am pleased that this scheme has been created to help in the plan to Build Back Better across the country.”

“As the Chancellor has said, we sadly cannot save every job. This is why I welcome this announceme­nt by the Prime Minister, developing a long-term plan to ensure that, as the nature of work changes, people here have access to gain the skills they need to find and create new and better jobs.

“In the coming weeks I will be meeting with our local Further Education providers and when I do I will be discussing the ways in which the new Lifetime Skills Guarantee will help them provide more access to education and retraining for local people.”

As well as offering college courses from April, the Lifetime Skills Guarantee will make higher education loans more flexible, allowing young people to choose the length and type of course that is right for them. There will also be more investment in college buildings and an £8 million commitment for digital skills boot camps; expanding successful pilots in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands and introducin­g programmes in four new locations.

 ??  ?? ●●Chris Clarkson MP at Hopwood Hall College
●●Chris Clarkson MP at Hopwood Hall College

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