Personally Speaking: ‘Young people need clear pathway to skilled work’

My Personally Speaking Column in The Sentinel (20 November 2025)

One of the best things of being our local Member of Parliament is getting out across Newcastle-under-Lyme to meet the people and businesses that drive our local community and our local economy. In recent weeks, that’s included visits to Meighs & Westleys in Holditch and Broxap in Chesterton – two examples of the many long standing businesses rooted in our community.

At Meighs & Westleys, or the Westley Group, I saw the precision engineering that supports the UK’s defence sector and underpins our exports. The apprentices, engineers and brilliant staff I met show exactly why advanced manufacturing must remain central to our economic future.

At Broxap – one of the country’s leading suppliers of street furniture – I saw how skilled work, here in Newcastle-under-Lyme, shapes the everyday spaces we all use. The steady precision behind products most of us barely notice is a reminder that strong industries are built by people whose expertise shows up in communities nationwide.

What connects these businesses is not just their history or their impact on our local economy, but the opportunities they represent. At a time when the Government is rightly reviewing the balance between university pathways and vocational and technical education – and setting out its ambitions in the recent national plans to improve post 16 education – aiming for clearer routes into high quality jobs, stronger partnerships with employers and more opportunities for higher level technical study – places like Meighs & Westleys and Broxap make the case better than any policy document ever could. They show that apprenticeships, technical training and skilled work offer real careers – with good wages, progression, and pride in the job.

For too long, vocational routes were treated as second best. The Government’s ambition for more young people to reach higher level learning – including advanced apprenticeships – is the right direction, but it must be matched with real investment and proper support for the colleges and employers delivering these pathways. This has held back young people who would have thrived in hands-on careers and, in turn, weakened our industrial base. If the United Kingdom is going to lead - and it must -in manufacturing, engineering and green technology, we must value vocational and academic routes equally.

Here in Newcastle-under-Lyme, we have the talent, the businesses and the educators – like Newcastle College and Keele University – who play a vital role in developing the skills our economy needs. Our task is to make sure our young people can access the full range of opportunities on their doorstep. I’ll keep working with employers, colleges and government to strengthen vocational education and support apprenticeships so that skilled work continues to grow here.

Across these visits, one message is clear: skilled work matters, and young people need clear, supported routes into it.

That’s why strong partnerships between business, schools and further education providers are essential. Employers here are stepping up with apprenticeships and long term opportunities – they deserve the backing to go further.

Manufacturing jobs support families, sustain local supply chains and give people pride in making something tangible and lasting. And as we think about the future of work in places like ours – including former coalfield communities – it’s clear that regeneration isn’t just about investment but about building the skills and opportunities that help people thrive. The work of organisations such as the Coalfields Regeneration Trust shows how long term, practical support can help areas with deep industrial roots adapt and succeed in a changing economy.

Businesses like Meighs & Westleys and Broxap have stayed loyal to this area, weathering economic change while continuing to create opportunities. That commitment is worth backing.

The task now is clear: if we want strong futures for our young people, we must back the industries that make those futures possible and ensure every young person knows that a good career can be built right here at home.

I’ll keep championing this agenda in Parliament and continue visiting local employers to hear directly from the people who make Newcastle-under-Lyme such a skilled and industrious place. Our future depends on the opportunities we create today – and on making sure those opportunities are open to everyone.

And it’s not just through business visits that I see this potential. Whether I’m at Keele University, Newcastle College or speaking with apprentices and trainees across our area, it’s clear that our community is rich with talent, ambition, and possibility.

I’ll keep standing up for our local employers and education providers, listening to what they need and working to ensure that Newcastle-under-Lyme continues to be a place where skills are nurtured, and opportunities grow.