Jobs for Gloucester students will get top priority from UKIP's Richard Ford if elected as MP for the city.
Launching his policies while campaigning in the city today he said: "My priority will be learning for jobs, investing for jobs. There are too many young people leaving the education system with qualifications that aren't needed. When a city student leaves education, he or she must be equipped to compete for relevant employment.
"We in UKIP want Gloucester's school students to be able to take an Apprenticeship Qualification instead of 4 non-core GCSEs that will lead to a professional, recognised grading. The status of apprenticeship should be highly valued, as it is in Germany for instance, and not seen as some Cinderella qualification. We want to invest in Gloucester's younger generation ."
"And for those studying approved degrees in science, technology, engineering, maths or medicine (STEMM) we'll remove tuition fees on condition they work and pay taxes in the UK for five years after finishing their degrees. Both policies are focussed on getting a job after leaving your education.
"The UK is going to have to compete hard in the future world, and we're optimistic about our prospects. But we would scrap the target of 50 per cent of school leavers going to university. It's totally arbitrary with no link with what our young people need to win in the world of work."
