The government’s Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, The Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP, has visited Keighley to hold a skills roundtable at Keighley College, praising the town’s “extraordinary” local apprentices and students.
The visit was part of Love Our Colleges campaign 2023, a fortnight-long celebration raising awareness about how UK colleges can support local skills, labour markets and life chances.
The roundtable discussion, hosted by Keighley College Principal Kevin O’hare and the town’s MP Robbie Moore, was attended by a range of stakeholders, including T-level students at the College, local apprentices, vocational students from priority local skills sectors, and local employers like Tim Rogers, engineering firm Teconnex and local manufacturing firm Stell, who are actively engaged in employing apprentices at the college.
The discussion revolved around various topics related to skills and education, with a particular focus on T-levels, promoting vocational qualifications, and boosting the apprenticeship agenda.
Apprenticeships and skills have been a key driver of Mr Moore’s work as Keighley and Ilkley’s MP, with the £33.6m Town Deal secured for Keighley including the creation of a new Manufacturing, Engineering and Tech Hub, and a new Skills Hub for Keighley College.
Commenting on the visit, The Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP said:
“I’ve been able to meet some extraordinary young people this week at Keighley College. They all have a real passion for what they do and it was great to hear about how they are being supported by both Keighley College in their journey through education and indeed by local employers like Tim Rogers, Teconnex and Stell as they move into the world of work.
We can all agree that skills are the catalyst for boosting local growth in towns like Keighley, and that’s exactly why this government is working to accelerate apprenticeships, T-levels and vocational skills across all of our town’s and cities.”
Local MP Robbie Moore added:
”Keighley College plays a huge role in our community, equipping our young people with the skills they need to go on and thrive. It was great to see the Skills Minister emphasising the importance of vocational education, which is something I’ve been focused on since becoming Keighley’s MP. I look forward to taking the ideas raised at this roundtable down to Westminster.”
