Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey has announced a new Local Apprenticeship Service backed by £100m of savings from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), aimed at helping young people into employment. The announcement was one of the biggest made by the Chancellor during his speech to a full hall at the Labour Conference in Liverpool this afternoon.
The annual event is being held in Liverpool for the fifth year running, before returning to the city again in 2027. Mr Healey said the service would see teams acting like "football scouts" to link young people with firms, including those who had never been offered an apprenticeship.
Moral duty to act
In his speech, the Chancellor said as part of a Labour government, it falls to them to act. He told the hall: "It is a moral duty, I refuse to write off one million young people like the Tories have done." The scheme will be led by mayors, who know their areas best.
Mr Healey described the service as "a down payment" on the work of former Cabinet minister Alan Milburn to tackle the almost one million young people not in employment, education or training (Neet). He told the Conference that the best thing the Labour government can offer young people is a job, not a benefit payment.
He added: "I see a generation born this century, digital natives, whip-smart, questioning, ambitious, brave, I see the best asset we have in our young people, and I believe this generation has the potential to be a great generation. And I believe we can help this generation move from generation jeopardy to generation hope."
Union Learning Fund reborn
The Government also plans to re-establish a fund used by trade unions to promote workplace training and lifelong learning. The Chancellor told the Labour party conference that the Union Learning Fund will be "reborn" after it was abolished by the Conservatives five years ago.
Elsewhere in his speech, Mr Healey pledged a "new age of industrialisation" as the Government backed British shipbuilding. He announced a multi-billion pound investment in three major maritime projects to strengthen national security, support skilled jobs and drive growth in every part of the UK.
Shipbuilding investment
Three new floating docks for the Royal Navy's submarine service at HM Naval Base Clyde will be built in Britain, supporting Britain's defence industrial base and securing key sovereign capabilities. A new marine research vessel will be built in a British shipyard, backing coastal communities, sustainable fishing and long-term economic growth. The projects will be built by British workers, supporting jobs and a pipeline of small British businesses.
A standing ovation and lengthy applause was given to the Chancellor after he finished his speech. Tomorrow will see Prime Minister Andy Burnham deliver his first Labour Conference speech in office.
