Colchester MP visits JTL to see new apprentice group in action

The MP for Colchester, Pam Cox, visited JTL’s Colchester centre to see first-hand the specialist training facilities and understand more about JTL’s growing presence in the region. Pam has represented Colchester since July 2024 and is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Apprenticeships which operates across all parties and makes recommendations to Government about policy and impact.

Pam took a tour of the centre, meeting a group of first year electrical apprentices who have recently started with JTL, and hearing from the delivery team about the opportunities across the Colchester region for training more skilled workers in the technical trades. JTL has had a long-standing presence in this area, and the Colchester site has been open for nearly a year, welcoming electrical apprentices who work in partnership with employers from Colchester and beyond. The skills these apprentices are gaining with JTL will be at the forefront of the drive to scale up house building, renewable technologies and infrastructure projects in the Colchester region and across the country.

Jo Timms, JTL’s Head of Delivery for the Eastern region, said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome Pam Cox MP to JTL Colchester and show her our high-quality apprenticeship programmes in action. She joined some first year electrical apprentices in the workshop learning health and safety essentials. 

“The next generation of skilled professionals that JTL is training play a crucial role in meeting the UK’s growing infrastructure and net-zero ambitions, so it is vital that they’re supported through effective policy and funding. We hope Skills England will prioritise aligning skills investment with infrastructure commitments across key sectors in each region. There is a particularly urgent need for more electrical and plumbing apprenticeship starts to meet growing industry demand and deliver on the country’s long-term economic, housing and environmental goals.”

Later that day Pam went back to Parliament and championed JTL in a debate in the Commons about apprenticeships and the new Government body – Skills England. 

Watch her speech here