Labour’s candidate for Wolverhampton North East and Shadow Housing Minister, Emma Reynolds, has welcomed the announcement that a Labour government would guarantee all secondary school and college pupils face-to-face one-on-one career advice from trained advisers, beginning at the age of 11. The advice will ensure teenagers learn about high quality apprenticeships and technical degrees as well as traditional academic routes into universities. Schools will be held to account for the programmes they offer. Labour will also reverse the Tory-led government’s decision to scrap compulsory work experience for 14 to 16-year-olds.

Emma said “This Tory-led government has neglected careers advice in schools. Even the Confederation of British Industry has admitted that the careers advice service is on ‘life support’.”

“A Labour government will make sure that school leavers are fully informed about their options. We will provide gold-standard vocational training via apprenticeships alongside the more traditional academic route via university. Every school leaver who gets the grades will also be guaranteed an apprenticeship.”

“The Labour plan for education includes smaller class sizes for five, six and seven-year-olds, paid for by ending the wasteful Free Schools programme. We will ensure all teachers become qualified and end the Tory experiment with unqualified teachers. Parents deserve to know that their child’s teacher has undertaken full training. Labour will introduce new Master Teachers who are subject experts and specialists in classroom discipline. Most importantly Labour will restore the role of Sure Start as family hubs in communities, providing families with the support they need.”