In the second ministerial visit to CONEL within a week, David Lammy, Under Secretary of State for Skills, recently met with employers from the construction sector.

In his address to the employers, he championed apprenticeship schemes, which are funded through the Government's Train to Gain initiative.

"The Government is committed to upskilling through Train to Gain and the apprenticeship model is key - passing on expertise, mentoring and acquiring a skill" he said. He also encouraged employers to avail of government-funded apprenticeships. He added that it was "a scandal that there are only 5000 apprentices in London, when so many opportunities exist for skilled workers,  and that when young Londoners leave school, they compete for jobs with people from Hertfordshire, Berkshire and Essex, Australia and New Zealand, Poland, Romania and Lithuania. Many jobs are available but there is still 33 per cent worklessness, so apprenticeships are a vital route to acquiring the skills to compete for a place in the workforce."

Speaking at another recent ministerial visit, when Secretary of State at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham MP visited CONEL, our Principal Paul Head said: "As a college, we've been demand-led and responsive to employers for a very long time. Demand is huge for new skills for the workforce. Our top priority is to respond flexibly to that demand and provide training of the highest quality."