Those who can, will

Those who can, will. That is the ethos of Seetac Harlow, a company which does so much to help those who face employment difficulties get back on track. At a visit yesterday, I met both staff and clients. Huge efforts are made to help those without jobs, particularly centred around teaching key skills such as literacy and numeracy. Led by Centre Manager Ruth Langham, I could see that the staff saw their work as a passion and vocation, as opposed to just daily work. Some of the employees had arrived at Seetac without a job, and had been employed at the company through an open and fair system. It was good to see the clients working together and helping each other, and a determination not to let life's difficulties be an insurmountable obstacle.

'Those who can, will', also seems to be the watchword of Harlow College, which I went to soon after Seetac. In my latest meeting with the College Principle, Colin Hindmarch and staff, I got a clear understanding of the College aim: to be the best. I sensed determination from the staff and students, that the sky is the limit - that with the right framework, anything can be achieved. I was particularly interested to hear of the College mentoring system, particularly concerning those students at risk, who may come from disadvantaged backgrounds. A retention rate of 99% clearly shows that their careful watching of 'at risk' students is working.

I enjoyed touring the college meeting some Essex Apprentices. The Apprentices were clearly ambitious for themselves - all the ones I talked to were hopeful that their time at Harlow College would mean good jobs for the future. Vocational training, is one of the most important opportunities we can give our young people, and it is good that Conservatives pledge 200,000 apprenticeships over two years, 100,000 work pairings and 100,000 extra FE places.

by Robert Halfon - www.roberthalfon.blogspot.com