I believe one of the important parts of my job and one that I've written about on these pages in recent weeks, is the responsibility of MPs to promote the life chances of young people.
From the Prime Minister’s recent announcements on improving prospects for young people, which included a new mentoring scheme across the public and private sectors, to my own support for initiatives such as National Citizen Service, we all have a part to play.
On Friday, 4th March, I'll be hosting the Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair, at the Civic Hall, from 10am until 3pm.
Entry is free to everyone interested in work or training opportunities.
As with the two previous Fairs I hosted in 2013 and 2014 there will be a range of employment options available; however this year will also have a focus on apprenticeships.
Although recent figures show that there have been more than 4,000 apprenticeship starts in Crawley since 2010, I know that there's more to do.
It's certainly no accident that Crawley unemployment has fallen by more than 60 per cent over the last five years. Companies including those attending the Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair have a great role to play in economic growth.
I look forward to welcoming organisations including the British Army, Autism Sussex, Central Sussex College, Tufwell Glass, and the RNIB.
I’m also grateful to the event’s sponsors; B&CE The People’s Pension, Virgin Atlantic, L-3 Link Simulation & Training.
The Government are committed to ensuring that there are three million apprenticeship starts by 2020, and I'm determined to ensure that young people in Crawley are a part of this.
I’ve been working with other MPs to promote apprenticeships and am pleased to be one of a hundred MPs who are part of the Parliamentary 100 in 100. This is an initiative put together by Nadhim Zahawi MP, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Apprentices.
I would urge anyone looking for a new job, or thinking about taking up an apprenticeship, to join me at the 2016 Crawley Apprenticeship & Jobs Fair. For more information, please visit: www.crawleyjobsfair.co.uk