Building an exciting future for Cornwall’s youth

Last Wednesday, I welcomed to Parliament some college students from Cornwall, including a member of the Youth Parliament, who participated in a peaceful demonstration and lobby regarding the future of the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA).  I also met a former Cornwall College lecturer and union representative.  While a number of people have written to me regarding the Coalition’s changes to the EMA, I always value the opportunity of discussing policies directly with constituents.

I am also pleased that the Head of Cornwall College was able to give evidence to the Education Select Committee on EMA amongst other things.  Evidence given to Select Committees is very useful in helping Members of Parliament scrutinise and influence the Government’s plans.

In our meeting we talked through barriers that might prevent someone aged 16 plus from staying on in education, including issues such as the all too real high cost of transport in Cornwall.  The college students I talked with described how they felt many of their classmates, parents and adults in our community did not value the benefits that education could bring both in terms of happiness and improved employment opportunities.  As a result they did not feel enabled to stay in education.   They also felt a sense of entitlement to EMA as it was presented to them as ‘paying youngsters to stay at school or college’.

Where there are real financial barriers that will prevent young people from staying in education beyond aged 16 years, money is and will continue to be available to support them.  How this money is spent will be decided locally and not in Whitehall.  There is evidence, however, from an independent report commissioned by the last Labour Government that EMA is not necessary for everyone who has received it in the past.  The Labour Party leader acknowledges that EMA needs reforming so that savings can be made.

More needs to be done to enable young people to have holiday or ‘Saturday’ jobs to help them with the cost of living.  I understand from talking with people who run small businesses who would like to be able to employ teenagers for a ‘Saturday’ job, that there can be very real barriers ranging from the need for CRB checks to rigid regulations.  I would like to hear from local employers who are encountering difficulties with employing young people so I can find ways to overcome those obstacles.  In the very competitive global jobs market work experience, as well as good qualifications, is increasingly important.

On Thursday, during a debate on the excellent plan that Frank Field MP has written for the Government on tackling child poverty and improving the chances for the most disadvantaged in our community, I was able to again raise the issue of CRB checks while I was mentioning the excellent voluntary work of our local Rotarians in primary reading.

I also believe that apprenticeships are a great way for young people to combine work with education and fully support The Cornishman’s campaign to promote the benefits of apprenticeships with employers as well as potential apprentices.

We all need to do what we can to help young people to fully appreciate what good educational opportunities they have open to them in Cornwall and while it may be hard, it is worth the effort to make the most of them.