Secretaries of State Visit Blyth Valley

Last Thursday Blyth Valley MP Ian Levy welcomed two Secretaries of State to Blyth Valley on the same day – believed to be a first.

It was also National Apprenticeship Week last week and Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan visited the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in Blyth to have a tour of this research and innovation centre and meet with apprentices on site ahead of Ian Levy’s third annual Blyth Valley Apprenticeships Fair the following day. Mr Levy showed the Secretary of State around the testing facilities and heard from apprentices about how these innovative skills are going to change the future of renewable energy. The government’s STEM initiative reaches over 2500 young people per year through universities, colleges and schools and the Powering Up Britain initiative has been providing this type of apprenticeship since 2010 and is aiming to have created 480,000 skilled workers, cut UK emissions by 50% by 2030 and leverage over £100bn in private sector investment.

They also discussed the Ofsted achievement of over 96% of Northumberland pupils being in good or outstanding rated schools and there was discussion about the new teaching apprenticeships launched last week.

They then headed to the new Energy Central Learning Hub being built behind Ridley Park to see progress on this new training facility. Students will be able to attend the Central Energy Hub from September to study for T-Levels which are similar to A-Levels and focus on vocational skills such as engineering and the other skills needed in the renewable energy sector.

The next stop was EDF Energy at the Port of Blyth to meet with Claire Coutinho MP, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero for a roundtable with apprentices who are working on and offshore in the renewable energy sector and finished with a boat trip out to the windfarm from Port of Blyth.

Two Secretaries of State visiting the area on the same day demonstrates the strategic importance of the Renewables Energy to our nation and how important South East Northumberland is to industrial transformation. Many of the world’s leading innovators in this sector have a presence in our area.

Ian Levy MP said: “I am so proud of everything that is going on here and relish the opportunity to play my part in this. Some of the world’s most innovative companies are choosing to come here and are bringing highly skilled, well paid jobs for local people. That Secretaries of State Keegan and Coutinho were both here on the same day shows the Government’s commitment to our area. The future looks increasingly bright.”