Tessa Munt MP tells Strode College students to “go for it!”

Local MP Tessa had a packed day at Strode College last week where she spoke to students, assisted in a course activity and congratulated apprentices by giving out awards.

An important part of Tessa’s day at Strode was giving a talk to ‘Aspire’ students. The Aspire Programme has been developed by Strode College to encourage and equip their most able and talented A Level students. This helps them with applications to the best universities as a first step in pursuing lives and careers that are challenging, rewarding and have a positive social and economic impact. One of Strode’s aims is to raise ambition and motivation by exposing the students to positive, inspirational role models – such as Tessa. Students had the opportunity to hear about Tessa’s experiences, the different jobs she had done and her route to becoming our MP. Tessa said “I am hugely impressed with this group of young people and I commend the college on its Aspire Programme. I hope I was able to give them an insight into my experiences and good advice from what I have learned along the way – they are brilliant young people and I said to them they must go for it!”

Tessa meeting the students

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Tessa Munt MP supports apprenticeships – for local businesses and young people

It’s National Apprenticeship Week this week (11 – 15 March) and Strode College in Street has joined forces with Tessa Munt, MP for Wells, and local company Party Packs to raise awareness of apprenticeships and the benefits they bring to local businesses and young people.

 Strode College runs a large number of apprenticeship schemes and sets up new apprenticeships to meet the needs of local businesses – recent additions include horticulture, teaching and learning support and dog grooming. (See `Notes to Editors` for list of apprenticeship schemes.)

 The College is training a growing number of apprentices for a wide variety of businesses across Somerset including accountants, construction companies, care homes, sports centres, hairdressing salons, garden centres, restaurants and retail businesses.

 Party Packs, based in Westbury-sub-Mendip, is an online mail-order company providing party supplies to businesses and individuals.  Strode College recently helped the company recruit three young apprentices who are also training with Strode College to gain an advanced apprenticeship in Business Administration. Tessa Munt @ Party Packs (a)

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Strode College teams up with job centre and Morrisons

Tessa Munt MP joined fifty job seekers at Strode College in Street last week as they graduated from Strode’s retail skills training and earned themselves a job interview with Morrisons.

 A new Morrisons store will open in Wells in December with a staff of 259.  While some staff will transfer from other stores, the Wells store will create many new jobs for local people.  All those who completed the retail training at Strode are guaranteed an interview with Morrisons.

 Strode College teamed up with Wells Job Centre and Morrisons earlier in the year to plan and develop the joint scheme designed to get job seekers into work.  As well as successfully training fifty job seekers, the College has hosted pre-employment days, open days, activity days and job interviews.   

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Tessa Munt MP discusses Politics with Strode College ‘A’ level students

Tessa visited Strode College last Friday morning, 16th March to speak to ‘A’ Level politics students as part of their studies.

Tessa explained the work she does as an MP, answered the students’ questions about working in politics and areas of government policy.

Tessa has always been very keen that younger people are encouraged to get involved in politics and is a firm believer in politicians listening closely to their views and opinions.  Having made many visits to local schools over the last ten years, Tessa has a strong track record of bringing students from around the constituency to her offices in Westminster and Wedmore to gain valuable work experience.

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Tessa given a chess lesson at local primary school

Local MP Tessa Munt was delighted to see for herself how the game of chess has become part of the school week for pupils at Priddy Primary School.

Roy Turner, Somerset Chess Champion, and the staff at Priddy School have taught twenty nine 7 to 11 year olds to play chess. There are many fans of the game in Priddy, including a number of pupils as young as five, and several children enjoyed a trip to the London Chess Classic competition last year. Read the rest of this entry »

Special Educational Needs: South West | Education | Written Answers

To ask the Secretary of State for Education

(1) how many children and young people at each age up to 19 in (a) North Somerset, (b) Bath and North East Somerset, (c) Somerset, (d) the City of Bristol and (e) Dorset have a disability or a special educational need;

(2) how many children and young people at each age up to 19 in (a) North Somerset, (b) Bath and North East Somerset, (c) Somerset, (d) the City of Bristol and (e) Dorset (i) have a statement of special educational need and (ii) have a statement of special educational need which was made at the request of a parent or carer; and on what date each such statement was issued.