Black Country MPs Pat McFadden and Ian Austin visited the LearnPlay Foundation in Wolverhampton last week to learn about work they are doing to equip youngsters with the skills they need to get in to employment. 

The LearnPlay Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which offers apprenticeships to young people to learn new skills in emerging technology areas such as design, film production and game development.

Around 70% of those who are taken on as apprenticeships are kept on as employees of LearnPlay, which now has a staff of 60.

Their aim is to offer skills and training for hard to reach young people who may otherwise be left out of the education system.

Pat McFadden MP Said:

“It was great to visit the LearnPlay foundation today in my constituency. They are an interactive digital media company offering services, apprenticeships and importantly, job opportunities to young people from across the Black Country. It was fantastic to meet some of the young people who had been offered jobs within the LearnPlay foundation and I will continue to support organisations like LearnPlay who give young people from the Black Country employment opportunities”.

Ian Austin MP said:

“I’ve always said we need to make education and skills our number one priority -; not just to give youngsters a first class start but to attract new investment, new industries and new jobs and to help adults get new jobs too.

“Long-term youth unemployment in the Black Country is twice the national average so I’m really pleased that organisations like LearnPlay are helping to equip youngsters with the new skills they need to get in to employment.”

To find out more about the LearnPlay foundation, visit;

http://learnplayfoundation.com/