Anne-Marie Trevelyan, MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed, took part in a House of Commons debate on further education colleges in the North East yesterday. The debate was secured by Helen Goodman, MP for Bishop Auckland, and was answered by the Government's Further Education Minister, Nick Boles.
Mrs Trevelyan highlighted the fantastic work done by further education colleges in the region, in particular Northumberland College as the only college in the county, and stressed the importance of them continuing to offer provision, particularly as pupils in Northumberland have large distances to travel to attend courses.
She said: "Since our Labour county council stopped funding post-16 transport some years ago, the college has had to pick up the bill so that no student is lost. It is vital that there is stronger careers advice in our high schools, and that the sixth forms and colleges work together."
Mrs Trevelyan also stressed the importance of understanding the funding framework available for small businesses who wish to take on apprentices:
"On apprenticeships, I, like the hon. Member for Hartlepool, would like the Minister to clarify how SMEs, which are the lifeblood of Northumberland—we do not have any large companies, and every company is an SME—will access levy funding to help them take on apprentices. We are struggling to get clarity on that, and I would appreciate having the Minister’s guidance so that we and every SME that wants to be part of the apprenticeship programme can get our heads around the issue."
After summing up the debate, the Minister told Mrs Trevelyan that he plans to visit Northumberland College in the coming months to see for himself how well the college is providing for students across Northumberland, following an invitation issued to him by Anne-Marie and Guy Opperman, MP for Hexham.