MP to take on an apprentice and 'practice what he preaches'

Robert Halfon, new Conservative MP for Harlow, has pledged to practice what he preaches by taking on an apprentice.

Halfon has asked Harlow College in Essex to provide him with a Parliamentary apprentice who will assist him with his Parliamentary and constituency duties while working towards a Level 3 qualification.  The majority of Parliamentary assistants are recent university graduates, however, Halfon has decided to take on someone with a vocational background, to demonstrate his comittment to vocational education.

Halfon commented: "Apprenticeships are fundamental for giving young people the skills they need to do the jobs of the future... Give young people that opportunity and they start to believe they can do something with their lives. I've got to practice what I preach. Rather than going on about it, I decided the best way to show my comittment to apprentices was to hire one myself. "