Priti Patel, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and the Conservative Party's parliamentary candidate for Witham, has welcomed the commitment to create 3 million new apprenticeships over the next five years.
Conservatives in Government have already succeeded in supporting 2 million apprenticeships since 2010 and if re-elected at the General Election will expand the apprenticeship programme further.
The number of apprenticeship starts for Witham's residents has doubled under the current Government (62 per month on average since 2010/11 academic year compared to 29 per month in the previous 5 years) and the Conservatives' plans for further investment will mean more people able to learn and earn. The National Minimum Wage for apprentices has also been increased by a record 20% this year.
Priti said: 'Apprenticeships are a fantastic way for people to earn a salary and learn a set of skills which will give them a career. Conservatives are committed to giving people in Witham and across the country the chance to become an apprentice and our ambitious plans for 2015 to 2020 will develop a high-performing and highly skilled workforce.
'Residents in Witham are already benefiting from a doubling in the number of apprenticeships and will be better off from our record increases in the apprentice wage too.
'The Conservative Party's long-term economic plan is working, which means we can invest with business in new apprentices. Because of the strong action we have taken to support growth and jobs, unemployment continues to fall and more people are securing meaningful employment and apprenticeship places.'