One of the things I have put right at the heart of my work in Northampton is getting people into work, especially young people.
I have organised several annual Jobs Fairs – at no cost to the taxpayer - attended by thousands of Northampton residents, and a large number of local and national businesses. These helped to get many people into work, and helped local businesses find some great employees to help their businesses expand and develop.
Unemployment figures in Northampton have been falling for years now. Earlier this year I organised the biggest Apprenticeship Fair of its type ever held anywhere in the country, with the then Education Secretary and also the then Minister for Apprentices both visiting Northampton to see the event for themselves. Thirty local businesses had the chance to meet school pupils from all our secondary schools and tell them more about the opportunities to combine working with studying at their companies.
I was pleased therefore to be invited in the last couple of weeks to the opening of a new centre in Northampton run by Prospects, a national company that works to improve the life chances of young people. They provide a local service, in particular helping 16-19 year olds getting started in the world of work, and are being supported by Northamptonshire County Council.
They have a particular focus on people who may not have had a good time in school, or faced other difficulties disrupting their education or career. I was very pleased to be able to attend the opening of this new local centre, and meet some of the staff and young people. I look forward to working with Prospects over the coming years and hearing about the good work they do in Northampton.