Minister urges MPs to follow Wirral West example

Feb 17 2011 By Liam Murphy

A GOVERNMENT minister has urged Members of Parliament to follow the example of a Wirral MP.

John Hayes MP, minister of state for further education, said in a letter other MPs should employ apprentices in their offices.

Esther McVey was the first Member of Parliament to employ an apprentice, and in order to do so rules and regulations set by Parliament had to be changed.

Since then, many MPs have contacted Miss McVey’s office to learn about how to employ an apprentice.

The Wirral West MP said: "I have always been an advocate of apprenticeships and further education, and have spoken about apprenticeships in Parliament.

"However, I wanted to go that little bit further and not just ‘talk about’ them, I set out to employ an apprentice in my constituency office.

"It took about three months and lots of hard work to get the authorities to agree to a change in regulations; however, once done, it was well worth it."

After a rigorous interview and assessment process, 18-year- old Clare Worsnup was chosen as Miss McVey’s apprentice.

The role is paid and entails all aspects of working in a busy MP’s office, learning business and administration skills, supported by college work at West Cheshire College, which will ultimately lead to NVQ qualifications in business administration.