AMAZED students at Southampton City College took double takes this morning as they passed Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, in the corridors.
The Prime Minister visited the college to launch National Apprenticeships Week and highlight his announcement that the Government would be making 21,000 additional places for apprentices in local government.
Principal and CEO of Southampton City College, Lindsey Noble, welcomed Gordon Brown, along with Skills Secretary,“John Denham”:http://johndenham.org.uk/cabinet-comes-to-southampton/ MP, and Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls MP, at the gate this morning so that they could see first-hand how the college was working with learners and employers.
The Prime Minister, wearing a black suit and burgundy tie, was given a guided tour of the college, which is currently undergoing a multi-million pound redevelopment.
The smiling PM spent time speaking to apprentices working in the college's motor mechanics department and others perfecting their bricklaying skills in the construction department.
He and his ministers also took part in a round table discussion with apprentices, their employers, and Lindsey Noble to talk about how apprenticeships benefited them.
Principal, Lindsey Noble, said: "I was so pleased to host the Prime Minister's visit this morning. It's a fantastic opportunity to show him, Ed Balls and John Denham all that City College offers to apprentices and employers in Southampton and the region. "Gordon Brown was so interested in talking to the apprentices and their employers about the courses offered by City College and the opportunities this gives them to learn as they work. "
Gordon Brown announced today that there will be 21,000 additional places for apprentices in local government, across education and health. The announcement is part of the commitment made by the Government in January for a total of 35,000 apprentices. In addition Ed Balls has committed that every new build in the public sector will take on apprentices.
Nationally, the number of apprenticeships has trebled since 1997 to almost 250,000, and last year saw a record number starting and completing schemes. City Training at City College is the largest provider of apprenticeships in the region.
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