The itinerary for the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee’s visit to Sheffield next week has been revealed.

As part of their major inquiry into apprenticeships, the cross-party committee will visit Sheffield on Monday, March 5 and Tuesday, March 6.

During the visit, committee members will visit Forgemasters and the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (ARMC).

They will also be holding a formal session on March 6 at the ARMC.

The chairman of the Committee, Adrian Bailey MP, said: “Dr Adam Posen of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee today made clear that he feels the biggest failure in the UK labour market at the moment is in the area of youth unemployment.

“Apprenticeships are a vital tool if we are to address this shortcoming.

“Apprenticeships can help equip young people throughout the UK with the skills necessary to drive forward broad and sustained economic growth, spread across a range of sectors and across the entire country.

“If the Committee’s inquiry is to have the desired effect, we need to look at what is working and where the current structure is falling short, not only for companies running apprenticeship schemes but for apprentices themselves.

“Sheffield is home to a number of significant organisations and employers offering innovative and meaningful apprenticeship schemes.

“This visit will allow the Committee to gain first-hand experience of how these schemes are operating in practice and takes evidence from a wide range of interested parties.”

The news comes ahead of the Committee’s first formal evidence session, which takes place tomorrow from 11am at The Grimond Room, Portcullis House.

Witnesses include Denis Hird, chief executive of JTL Training, Alex Jackman, a senior policy officer for the Forum of Private Business, and Graham Hoyle, the chief executive of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP).

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