King’s Speech

Lord Young of Norwood Green Excerpts

Tuesday 19th May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Young of Norwood Green (Lab)]

My Lords, while there is a lot to be welcomed in the Government’s proposed new legislation, I will focus on further and higher education, especially skills and apprenticeships.

The Government have done a lot to encourage SMEs to take on apprentices, but the latest figures are disappointing, and we know how necessary these skills, whether in construction, energy, or the crafts needed to repair churches and cathedrals such as stonemasonry, are to so many of our industries. So many of our villages have thatched roofs, and we need the next generation of thatchers to preserve that heritage. Too many schools advise young people that university is the only choice and fail to tell them that apprenticeships provide a good career path, good pay and a guaranteed job.

There is another major challenge we face: thousands of young people not in employment, education or training. The cost to our economy is enormous, and it encourages young people to believe that living on benefits is an option—something we cannot afford and certainly should not be encouraging them to do.

Giving 16 to 17 year-olds the right to vote is important, but I hope we will realise that we need to educate them about the importance of their choice, and I believe that that should be from the age of 14. If we leave it until they are 16 years old, we will have missed a golden opportunity.

I welcome lots of the reforms relating to schools and education, but I still think we have a long way to go on skills and apprenticeships.