Institute of Advanced Motorists

Fiona Bruce MP represents Congleton Branch of Institute of Advanced Motorists at national meeting at RAC Club

Fiona Bruce MP attended the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) Annual Lunch at the RAC Club in London last week to represent the Congleton Branch, of which she is Patron.

Fiona said:

“I am very pleased to have been invited to this important occasion and to be able to represent the Congleton Branch of the Institute of Advanced Motorists as their Patron. 

This is the second event this week I have attended in this capacity, the other being a presentation in Parliament by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service on their ThinkDriveSurvive scheme for 17 to 25 year olds. 

Under this scheme Fire Officers are going into schools across Cheshire and reaching thousands of young people with safer driving messages, such as not being distracted by passengers, switching off mobile phones, not drinking any alcohol at all before driving and in this dark weather checking your lights are working every day.

 This time of year, these messages are particularly important for everyone – and especially young people since they are four times more likely to crash and newly qualified drivers are estimated to be 33% more likely to crash than learners.  Road crashes are the biggest killer of young people in the UK.  I commend Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service for this initiative.  ThinkDriveSurvive is playing a vital part in preventing death and serious injury on the roads. It is excellent to see Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service taking the national lead on this important issue.”

At the National meeting of the IAM, Mike Penning MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport also spoke of the need for changes to driver education suggesting all tests for road vehicles should be ‘fit for purpose” and that there is a need to target drivers aged 17-25 who were not around for the first wave of anti drink driving campaigning saying “we need to get the message through - It is a privilege to...talk to experts who are so passionate about improving road safety.”

The IAM is the UK’s leading road safety charity and is dedicated to increasing skills for all road users, raising driving and riding standards and helping to save lives on the road.

John Twigg, Chairman of Congleton Advanced Motorists said:

“We are delighted to have Fiona Bruce MP as President of the Group and her active support for our work to reduce the tragic loss of life on local roads. All of the evidence shows that raising the standard of driving is the cheapest and most effective way of improving road safety.”

Children's Society

Children’s Society Speaker in Middlewich

Aelison Wilson spoke at St Michael and All Angels Church in Middlewich of the different ways in which volunteers undertake work for the Children’s Society.

Aelison, who lives in Frodsham, and who’s work for the Children’s Society covers a wide range of the North West region said:

“Some of our volunteers go into schools to take a small group of children or simply to listen to them, to help improve behaviour because so many children spend so much time put in front of a television.”

She also told of the work the Children’s Society in supporting those who run away from home, this being the current, major project of the Children’s Society – a growing need when 100,000 children run away from home each year in our country.

The Children’s Society does not run any homes of its own but volunteers go into homes to help handicapped children in care – for example to take handicapped children out every Saturday.  Another area of their work, which is based in Northwich, is to help children who are “on the edge of the law” – The Children’s Society tries to get alongside them and so keep them out of trouble.

In closing Aelison said “We interviewed thousands of children to ask them what makes a good childhood, as our country is the worst in the developed European sector for growing up as a child for many reasons.  Interestingly, the main factor which children cited as making a good childhood was to give them time.”

Fiona Bruce MP, who attended the talk, said “The work of The Children’s Society is especially valuable at this time of year and at a time when politicians from different parties are saying that the biggest threat to our society is not economic, but the disintegration of the family life, the Children’s Society is playing a vital role in supporting vulnerable children and families.”

Apprenticeships

New Apprenticeships – What’s in them for Small Businesses?

by Fiona Bruce MP

High quality apprenticeships help young people out of unemployment and into work, as well as boosting the skills of the local workforce to equip the economy for success.  So why in the past have small businesses been reluctant to take them on? 

One answer may well have been an underlying perception that apprentices are an undue burden on small businesses.  But the introduction of new measures to make apprenticeships flexible and relevant to employers across the country – and most importantly for a small business – by offering help towards the costs of employing a young person could, the Government hopes, mean small businesses can think again about taking on an apprentice.

Crucially, the Government’s new provisions provide much needed financial help for the smallest firms to make it economically viable to recruit their first young apprentices.  The Government will offer employers with 50 employees or fewer up to £1,500.00 for taking on an apprentice aged between 16 and 24.  This will support up to 20,000 new apprenticeships in 2012.

The Government is also slashing the red tape which deters firms from taking on apprentices.  Processes will be simplified to make it quicker and easier for employers to take on apprentices; this will include streamlining health and safety requirements so that there are no additional demands on employers.

Through apprenticeships, small businesses have the opportunity to equip apprentices with basic skills and provide a sound investment in, not only their future and the future of the business they work in, but also, critically, the future of the country’s economy.  This will be achieved by new quality standards to ensure that every apprenticeship is directly relevant to the specific skill needs of local employers, with every apprentice receiving at least 280 hours of formal training per year.

To ensure high standards, the Government is launching a review in to the standards and quality of apprenticeships.  The review will help ensure the Government works effectively with training providers and businesses to continually raise the standards of all apprenticeships, and, most importantly, that training keeps pace with the changing needs of the industry.

There are further opportunities for support locally for a business considering taking on an Apprentice.  Plus Dane have used their work in the field of housing services to provide full apprenticeships in a range of trades and administration both with Plus Dane (35 currently) as well as supporting development of a local apprentice initiative in Congleton which has involved East Cheshire Chamber of Commerce, the Congleton Town Partnership and local schools. 

Research shows that every pound of public investment in an apprenticeship generates up to £40 for the regional economy.  Furthermore, improvements in productivity ensure employers recoup their training costs within three years; and advanced apprenticeships – leading to a degree – such as those offered by Bentley Motors at Crewe - boost an employee’s lifetime earnings by around £100,000.00!

A record 442,700 learners started an apprenticeship in the academic year 2010/22 – an increase of around 50% on the previous year.  These new measures will ensure young people and small businesses feel the full benefits of the successful expansion of apprenticeships. 

So, apprentices need not be an undue burden to businesses and in the medium to long term they can be a real boon - enabling an employer to train a young staff member with years ahead of them in the culture, practices and priorities of a firm from day one.  The mutual benefits for both apprentices and businesses can help to move the economy forward in Cheshire East; business can gain the skilled workers they need to grow and young people can take steps into rewarding employment. 

So why not take a fresh look at taking on an apprentice for your business today?

For more information visit www.apprentice.org.uk

Alsager Work Club

MP supports valuable service provided by Alsager Work Club

Congleton Constituency MP Fiona Bruce has offered her backing to the Alsager Work Club.  Having visited the Work Club in Middlewich recently and seen the excellent help offered to job seekers, Fiona Bruce encourages people to support and to use the services offered by the organisation in the Alsager area.

Fiona says “I encourage all looking for a job to make use of the Work Clubs available to them. The help provided is friendly, and practical support is given in the most important areas such as CV writing, applications and training opportunities. The Alsager Club is a much needed and worthwhile local service.”

The Alsager Work Club meets every other Wednesday 2-4.30pm at 1 Grove Court, Alsager and is free of charge. For more information contact 01260 290682 or simply drop in to one of the sessions.