Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, is backing Labour’s plan to deliver professional careers guidance in schools. This pledge coincides with National Careers Week, and is part of the Party’s plan to ensure young people leave education ready for work and ready for life.
Labour has committed to ensuring every young person gets professional information, advice and guidance on their future study and career options alongside two weeks worth of work experience while at secondary schools, helping students to make informed choices about their future.
The government cut back careers advice in 2011, despite headteachers warning it could leave two million young people with the support they need. Pre-pandemic data showed that this had left two thirds of young people without professional careers advice and almost half reporting that they felt unprepared for the future.
Last month, the Conservatives’ voted against giving young people careers advice as part of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, blocking plans to ensure young people have the skills and support they need to succeed.
Alongside recruiting over a thousand new careers advisors for schools, Labour’s plan to ensure every young person leaves education ready for work and for life would embed digital and life skills across the curriculum and ensure all young people have access to laptops and technology ensuring they have the skills they need to succeed and prosper.
Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said:
“This National Careers week, it’s more important than ever that we give young people the tools they need to leave education work and life-ready. Children across Denton and Reddish, and across the country, should be aware of all of the opportunities that are open to them.
Yet Tory MPs voted against Labour’s plans to reintroduce this essential support for young people, after their disastrous decision to abolish the former careers service.
I’m proud to be supporting Labour’s plan to ensure that every child receives professional careers guidance, alongside two weeks worth of work experience while at school, as part of our plans to ensure young people leave education ready for work and ready for life”.