September 11th saw the opening of the West Dorset Skills & Training Centre in Bridport, the result of 2 years of hard work by the Bridport Local Area Skills Training (BLAST) management team, chaired by Arthur Woodgate, of which I am a director.
The centre opens at an opportune moment with youth unemployment up to 18.5 % & we have been supported all the way by Nacro which has funded the training at the centre to provide opportunities for 16 + year olds not in education, employment or training.
Dorset has the highest rate of exodus of young people in the United Kingdom. One of Blast’s aims is to give them something to stay for – both in terms of training that is relevant to the 21st century & support for employment opportunities that mean they can stay & work in the area.
The project has taken us hours & hours of work to get off the ground. What it gives evidence of however is the value of committed local community groups, pushing for funding & support to do for themselves something which a town has been waiting for for years & which local authorities & colleges alike have failed to deliver.
As a Liberal Democrat I am committed to increasing localism - power to ordinary people in their communities to do things for themselves in order to benefit the whole community with the support of public funding where there will be a measureable return. End the top down centralisation of policy & empower communities to take responsibility for delivery where they are able. I only hope the Swanage Education campaign will be able to make a move in the same direction if their bid for local training at secondary level is scuppered by the County Council - as I suspect it will be.
What we have achieved in BLAST is what motivated me to go into politics. I am proud to have been part of the team that has made this happen !
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