Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls visits Nelson company

Mr Balls visited bakery equipment manufacturer equipment manufacturer Ferguson Engineering on the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate yesterday (Thursday) with the party’s candidate at the General Election, Azhar Ali.

There, he met company managing director Phil Williams and owner Ray Ferguson, apprentices and representatives from Nelson and Colne College, from where the company employs apprentices alongside their training.

Afterwards, Mr Balls said he had been very impressed with what he had seen and heard at the company, which has worked with the college for around 20 years and takes on four apprentices every year.

And he said he was looking forward to coming back to the company when it takes on its first female apprentice.

Labour has plans to back the 50 per cent of young people who do not go to university with gold standard technical qualifications and more apprenticeships.

“We need to make sure that there is job training for our young people as a guarantee for their future,” said Mr Balls.