Initiatives are Encouraging Job Creation - 01:54 pm, Fri 26th Feb 2010
Every week I receive emails from young people who are interested in issues at local, national and international level. I am always pleased when I receive these emails as it confirms what I have seen when meeting young people; that they care about the world around them. I recently took the International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander, to New College to meet with students and Douglas was very impressed with the quality of questions he was asked.
Unfortunately, during the last 18 months I have also received many emails from young people who have found finding work difficult. As I have said before, Swindon saw one the highest increases in youth unemployment in the country during the recession. Young people who had just left school, college or university, were finding it very difficult to get opportunities in the workplace.
We needed to respond to this crisis and in September I convened a meeting of local organisations and employers to see what we could do to ‘Back Young Swindon’. After this meeting I am pleased to report that more organisations actively took on the challenge of recruiting more young people for real jobs.
On Thursday I was delighted to open the ‘Backing Young Swindon Jobs Fair’ at The Platform which has been newly refurbished and will be open fully soon. I was invited by the JobCentre Plus which has worked tirelessly to get young people into jobs and training courses. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at the JobCentre Plus and in particular Jill Annal who has spearheaded this project.
I spoke with lots of young people who had found work either through the JobCentre Plus or via the Future Jobs Fund. The Future Jobs Fund was launched by the Government as a way to tackle the number of young people at risk of being out of work or training for an extended period. This fund provides real jobs in local organisations and is supported by Central Government funding. So far in Swindon we have seen over 300 of these jobs created which is a fantastic level of support.
As the jobs fair opened its doors there was a rush of young people eagerly approaching the employers’ stands. The desire that these young people showed in wanting to speak with organisations about how they can improve their job prospects and achieve the career they want to was very encouraging. Do not let anyone tell you that young people are not enthusiastic or willing to work hard to get on in life.
In the afternoon I returned to the jobs fair with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Yvette Cooper. Yvette has done so much to put the future of young people at the top of the political agenda and has delivered great support for Swindon. We have also had the news today that 5,000 apprenticeships will be created in the health sector, it is important that the public sector also takes on more young people.
I know many of you will have heard the news that the delays to the university project in Swindon have meant that plans have had to be postponed. It’s going to take longer to achieve the ambitions we have because of the recession, but I will continue to fight for a town centre university for Swindon.
Get in Touch and Your MP Can Help You - 09:44 am, Mon 22nd Feb 2010
This week I have been on recess from Parliament which gives me more time in Swindon than my usual 3 days a week. Recess is a time for me to visit more local people and is in fact one of the busier times of the year. Thanks to not having to travel to and from London I can make full use of the day and respond to more of your emails, letters and phone calls.
Since last Thursday I have been able to visit several local groups and organisations that I have worked with in the past to see how they are getting on and what more I can do to help.
On Friday I was delighted to visit the Toothill Lunch Club which provides wonderful food and entertainment for local pensioners. In 2008 I was contacted by the volunteers who run the lunch club when they faced a real problem over potatoes. This may not sound that important but imagine peeling potatoes for over 60 pensioners each week by hand whilst also cooking all the other food and organising the bingo. After contacting local businesses, I was able to secure donations to help the club buy a new electronic potato peeler which cost over £1,000. It was great to see the peeler in action and speak with the elderly diners about their priorities. Many had travelled to the community centre using their free bus pass. The freedom to get out of the house that the free bus has provided since the Government introduced it is something that older people treasure.
After my regular weekend activity of speaking with residents on the door-step, on Monday I was pleased to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister, Harriet Harman, to Swindon to visit the SMASH Youth Project. SMASH provides support and activities for young people and is just one example of the amazing work that the voluntary sector undertakes in Swindon.
We met the young people as they were making and painting sculptures at the Art Centre in Old Town. As it is half-term there were lots of very enthusiastic kids who were really enjoying the activities. The visit also gave me the chance to speak with the managers of the project about the funding of the organisation. Securing funding each year is a challenge for SMASH and I am pleased to be able to help whenever I can to put them in touch with local businesses or Government departments that could be helpful.
Today (Friday 19th) I am holding my regular surgery where residents who have cases that require a face-to-face meeting come to my office in Old Town. In most instances I and my staff are able to help people by writing letters or calling the right people but some cases are so serious or complex that I need to sit down with them and work through the issue. If you ever have a problem that you think your local MP can help with please contact me via email, letter or on the phone. It is really helpful to me and will speed up my response if you can fill out the form that is on my website in the contact section and either email or post it to me.
Whichever way you contact me I will always get back to you and do my best to help solve your problem.
Our Central Place in Low Carbon Area Means More Jobs - 12:39 pm, Fri 12th Feb 2010
In my column last week I spoke about the importance of moving Swindon’s economy forward and embracing the new opportunities that the shift to the low carbon economy could bring. I have been working hard to bring green investment to Swindon.
Well, as I am sure you will hear on the TV, Radio and read in the Adver today, Swindon is going to be part of a dedicated Low Carbon Economic Area. This area will stretch from Swansea to London and across the West Midlands but will have Swindon as a key location. It is good news for new jobs and the environment.
Thanks to Government investment, this dedicated area will specialise in hydrogen technology which is something that Honda has embraced already and local company Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells is leading the world in developing.
Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells is a global business that develops fuel cell catalysts and membranes which are an integral part of low carbon fuel cells for all sorts of products. Their Swindon plant is the largest manufacturing facility in the world for this technology and is the only one in Britain.
Today, I will be visiting Johnson Matthey along with Department for Energy and Climate Change Minister Lord Hunt to launch the Low Carbon Economic Area.
What this investment will mean is that Swindon will be leading the way in researching, building and trialling the cars of the future. Cars using this new technology will dramatically cut carbon emissions compared with petrol and diesel vehicles and will use less energy all together. Importantly, these cars will be cheaper to run in the long-run.
This announcement reinforces Swindon’s reputation for being innovative and forward-thinking both in terms of our businesses and flexible workforce. With the dedicated research and development funding that will be given to the area local employers are set to reap the rewards.
As this project progresses we will start to see changes to the infrastructure of Swindon. Building fuelling stations for hydrogen and electric cars and fitting homes with the products they need to charge vehicles and other products will be just two of the new things you will see.
However, we need to do more than welcome this announcement. We need to take full advantage of this investment by creating awareness of the wider need to move our economy towards a low carbon future. We will only see the true benefits if we create an appetite for Swindon to lead this initiative from the bottom-up. That means businesses, local government and schools need to pass the message on of how important this is.
Elsewhere this week I was proud to sign-up to the new ‘Target Cancer’ pledge. Currently, you are guaranteed to see a cancer specialist after two weeks if your GP suspects you have cancer. However, some things are too important to be left to chance, and cancer is one of them. With this disease, every day counts.
That’s why I’m supporting a new plan by Labour to target cancer with a guarantee of faster diagnosis. The guarantee means that every patient with suspected cancer must have access to diagnostic tests, with results, within just one week of seeing their doctor. If we do this, we can save up to 10,000 lives a year. If you support this guarantee go to www.votenhs.com to sign-up like I have.
We Can Adapt to Challenges of Low Carbon Economy - 02:45 pm, Fri 5th Feb 2010
Swindon has always had a robust economy and strong record on creating and sustaining jobs. One of the main reasons behind this has been the diverse nature of the employers that are based in Swindon and the adaptability of the people who work in the town.
During the 1980s when the railway works began to close it was important that new industries were attracted to Swindon. Companies such as Honda, BMW, Intel and Nationwide all chose to move to Swindon and remain here today.
The global financial crisis was unique in that it affected almost all industries and, in Swindon’s case, particularly the car industry. The recession has highlighted the need for Swindon to diversify its economy once again in order that we secure opportunity and employment.
I’m sure many of you have read articles or seen interviews with me when I have discussed the importance of the new low carbon, or green, economy. There are many reasons why moving the UK economy towards a low carbon focus is a real opportunity for Swindon.
The threat of climate change means that we all must take important steps to change how we live our lives. Reducing our carbon footprint and improving the sustainability of our day to day activities will be essential if we are serious about tackling the effects of climate change. Industry and business must also play their part.
However, moving to a low carbon economy does not only mean cutting back. There are estimated to be 1.2million green jobs created by 2015 across industries such as transport, energy, construction, science and technological production to name but a few.
Swindon must be at the forefront of this new low carbon economy in order to maximise the benefits it will bring. The flexibility, skill and commitment of our workforce mean that we have the people necessary to make this happen. We also have forward-looking businesses who are already preparing.
Last week I was delighted to visit the Honda plant with Business Minister Ian Lucas to see the new techniques and products they are using that will be vital in the new low carbon economy. Honda has always looked to the future as a company. Intel and Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells based in Swindon are also important companies in the future of our town.
Working with Ministers and the South West Regional Development Agency, I have been able to make the case for Swindon to be a leading location for the new low carbon economy.
The Regional Development Agency (RDA) has been crucial to investment of both public and private funds in Swindon. RDAs across the country help to deliver resources for projects such as regeneration and infrastructure improvements. They also play vital roles in attracting new business and investment. If you look at the transformation of cities such as Bristol, Liverpool and Newcastle you will see that RDAs have been integral to their success.
I noticed in Friday’s Adver that the Conservative Party is now unsure about its policy on RDAs, originally they wanted to scrap them now they can’t tell us what they would do; like on so many issues.
I for one will continue to work closely with the Regional Development Agency and any business, group or individual that is interested in improving the future of Swindon.
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