Experience and Training

Oral Answers to Questions — Business, Innovation and Skills – in the House of Commons at 9:30 am on 8 November 2012.

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Photo of Gordon Henderson Gordon Henderson Conservative, Sittingbourne and Sheppey 9:30, 8 November 2012

What steps his Department is taking to encourage participants in further and higher education to gain experience and training in business and industry.

Photo of David Willetts David Willetts Minister of State (Universities and Science)

We are supporting students to gain vital work experience by growing high-quality apprenticeships across the economy. We are also supporting the roll-out of student enterprise societies in every university to support the creation of student internship and graduate job opportunities with local enterprises.

Photo of Gordon Henderson Gordon Henderson Conservative, Sittingbourne and Sheppey

In my Constituency, the human resources department of our local Morrisons regional distribution centre is working closely with Sittingbourne community college to ensure that school leavers have a better understanding of what employers expect from potential employees. Will the Government encourage human resources departments based in the head offices of large companies to liaise in a similar way with universities, to better equip students for the workplace?

Photo of David Willetts David Willetts Minister of State (Universities and Science)

That is an excellent and imaginative idea. I think some of that happens already, but we are actively promoting such initiatives in a series of round tables that the Under-Secretary of State for Skills, my hon. Friend Matthew Hancock, will be leading. Universities are now obliged to put on their websites key information about graduate employment outcomes from their courses, which will encourage initiatives such as that described by my hon. Friend.

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