This National Apprenticeship Week, Sir Edward Leigh MP is celebrating the vital contribution of apprentices in the Gainsborough constituency.

Since 2010 there have been 6,000 apprenticeship starts in the Gainsborough constituency, and over 1.2 million new apprenticeships starts nationally since 2015. Take up of higher-level apprenticeships in 2016/17 was up be nearly 35 percent compared to 2015/16, with 850 starts in the constituency.

Apprenticeships are at the heart of the Conservative Government's strategy to expand opportunity and develop the skilled workforce the country needs. This includes working with industry to deliver an ambitious target of 3 million new apprenticeship starts by 2020.

There is still more to do which is why the government recently launched an education and funding review that weill help people make more effective choices between the different options available to them, promoting parity of esteem between technical and academic pathways. Commenting, Sir Edward Leigh said:

"Apprenticeships allow people to earn whilst they learn and open doors to highly skilled, rewarding careers.

"This government's reforms are not only increasing apprenticeship numbers, but driving up the quality of apprenticeships meaning they have real value in the jobs market.

"Only the Conservatives are working hard to ensure everyone can get on in life and go as far as their talents and hard work can take them."