On Friday 6 November, Julian Knight MP met with a group of Solihull College students who are working with youth charity The Prince’s Trust to gain experience and qualifications in order to progress into work, education and training.
The Prince’s Trust last year helped more than 56,000 young people to turn their lives around.
The training workshop took place at Birmingham Airport, one of the largest employers in the region. Birmingham Airport supports 25,000 jobs in the region, and its impact in the West Midlands has recently been calculated in independent research at £1.1 billion.
Sessions were also supported by volunteers from Jaguar Land Rover, Job Centre Plus and West Midlands Police.
Remarking on the visit, Julian Knight said:
“I was delighted to meet with the group from Solihull College, to hear about their ambitions for the future, and also discuss my role as their local MP. It was fantastic to see the Prince’s Trust, Birmingham Airport, and other major employers and organisations in the region working together to support our young people.”
Craig McCauley, Prince’s Trust Team Leader said:
“The Prince’s Trust is grateful to Julian Knight MP, the Airport, Jaguar Land Rover, Job Centre Plus and West Midlands Police for their support in helping young people on their journey towards getting a job.
“Youth unemployment is a problem throughout the UK and the West Midlands, and support from public and private organisations is key to unlocking the potential of young generations. We are also delighted that this group from Solihull College had the opportunity to meet with their local Member of Parliament.”
Paul Kehoe, CEO of Birmingham Airport said:
“We were delighted to support the Prince’s Trust at the Airport and also to introduce the group from Solihull College to Julian Knight, our local MP. As one of the largest employers in the West Midlands, we are committed to helping young people in our region develop the skills they need to move into work.”