Apprenticeships in focus for MP’s Auto Windscreens visit

Auto Windscreens MD James MacBeth has hosted talks on the apprenticeship levy and the automotive market at the firm’s Chesterfield head office with the town’s MP.

Toby Perkins, MP for Chesterfield and Staveley and chair of the House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee, toured the head office and discussed apprenticeships, the role of technicians and EVs.

Perkins, a former shadow minister for apprenticeships and lifelong learning, met Auto Windscreens apprentices at the firm’s training centre and saw ADAS calibration work at first hand.

MacBeth said: “We were pleased to show Toby around the business, which is one of the largest employers in the area and has been based in Chesterfield since being founded in 1971.”

MacBeth said there had been meaningful discussions about the apprenticeship levy, which the firm does not receive for apprentices in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales. He also called for automotive technician posts to be recognised as a skilled profession.

Perkins pledged to raise the issues, including the importance of vehicle safety systems calibration, with ministers.

“I was lucky enough to meet some of their apprenticeships and see the skills they need to complete the role,” he said.

Perkins also encouraged school leavers to consider apprenticeships alongside university and other career paths.

Photo: James MacBeth (left) with Toby Perkins