Joe Morris
Main Page: Joe Morris (Labour - Hexham)Department Debates - View all Joe Morris's debates with the Department for Education
(3 days, 18 hours ago)
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Anna Dixon (Shipley) (Lab)
Dave Robertson (Lichfield) (Lab)
Joe Morris
When I speak to small businesses in my constituency of Hexham, they regularly decry an inability to recruit young people from the area, who want to remain in the area where they grew up. Will the Secretary of State assure me that we will be working with small and medium-sized businesses to ensure that young people can remain where they grew up, should they wish to do so, which sadly was very hard under the previous Government?
Bridget Phillipson
Following on from small business Saturday, we all recognise that small employers are the backbone of our economy. My hon. Friend is right that it should not be the case that young people in places such as Hexham should have to get out in order to get on. We are creating Skills England to fill the skills gaps we see across our country. Skills England will also work with our regional mayors to ensure that we address some of the regional inequalities we see, as well as some of the opportunity areas, because we know that particular parts of the country have a real ability to drive forward growth, jobs and opportunities.