SINCE 2010 unemployment in Tiverton and Honiton has dropped by 41 per cent and nationally there are 1.8m new apprenticeships.
Figures recently released from the Office of National Statistics showed that nationally the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance has fallen below one million for the first time since 2008.
Employment has now reached 30.6m, up 1.8m since the election. The employment rate in this country is now back to its pre-recession levels.
It is not just the number but the type of jobs that are being created. Two thirds of the rise in employment since 2010 has been in higher skilled occupations and total weekly pay in July 2014 is up by 0.7 per cent over the year.
It is evident that this Government's long-term economic plan is gradually working. But we cannot be complacent and I know the Chancellor is working hard to ensure these gains are not reversed and that we build on the successes of hardworking British people and businesses.
I want to ensure that more young people learn vital skills for work and are given the opportunities to get jobs and train in Devon.
That is why I am pleased to be holding the Mid Devon Jobs and Apprenticeships Fair on Friday, October 3, at Tiverton High School in association with the National Apprenticeship Service and Jobs Centre Plus. The jobs fair will help school leavers and job seekers find work and get careers advice to give young people the experience and skills they need to enter the workplace.
This is the second jobs fair to be held in the constituency. Earlier this year we held one for East Devon at Honiton Community College.
A number of different employers and training providers will be holding stands at the Jobs Fair hoping to fill vacancies and offer careers advice. Among the leading businesses and training providers offering jobs and skills will be Cosmic Ethical IT, Paramount Personnel, the Construction and Training Board, Bicton College and Exeter College.
There will be a number of major national employers such as the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force as well as local public sector organisations. Charities such as the Tiverton British Heart Foundation will also be attending to offer places for jobseekers.
The Mid Devon Jobs and Apprenticeship Fair is taking place on Friday, October 3, from 3pm to 7pm. Do drop me an email – neil.parish.mp@parliament.uk – for more information.
The Conservative Party conference is not just the headline speeches from ministers. There is a whole range of smaller debates and discussions and these are no less important. These events to discuss policy are an important part of any party's conference. It helps shape opinions and allows new ideas to be discussed.
This year I spoke at the RSPCA's annual beer and curry night on Sunday as chairman of the Associate Parliamentary Group on Animal Welfare as well as the League Against Cruel Sports panel discussion on banning the use of snares to catch animals.
On Monday I took part in the Countryside Alliance's, Let's get real about wildlife, panel discussion including Defra Minister Lord de Mauley, former Environment Secretary Owen Paterson MP and Tim Bonner, director of campaigns for the Countryside Alliance. We discussed how a Conservative Government can achieve a proper balance on wildlife management. Later that day I spoke at the Conservative Rural Affairs Group event along with the Rt Hon Liz Truss MP, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Our discussions were wide ranging from the rural economy, planning, and environmental planning conditions, through to the EU habitat directives.
Finally on Tuesday I was part of a roundtable discussion hosted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to discuss what sort of environmental policy should be in the Conservative Party's 2015 General Election Manifesto.
