Saqib attended the Prime Minister’s Business Connect event in Coventry to host a roundtable on the adoption of AI in his capacity as Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy. The roundtable was attended by several local SMEs, regional chambers of commerce, and the FSB, amongst others. At the conference, the Prime Minister announced a package of reforms creating 20,000 more apprenticeship places and cutting red tape for thousands of small businesses.
The reforms contain several changes that will encourage businesses to hire apprentices. The first of which is a £60 million investment in creating 20,000 more apprenticeships, which will be fully funded in small businesses from 1 April by paying the full cost of training for anyone under the age of 21. This will both reduce costs for businesses and deliver more opportunities for young people to kick-start their careers. To further support business, unnecessary regulations will be slashed saving around £150 million per year for thousands of small businesses, which has been made possible due to the freedoms gained through Brexit. The government have also established a new task force to boost private investment in women-led businesses. This will address the wider challenges faced by female entrepreneurs to help unlock their potential.
Commenting on the event, Saqib said:
“I was so pleased to host a roundtable at the Prime Minister’s Business Connect conference. It is incredibly important that we facilitate businesses harnessing the power of AI to propel them into the future.”
“Apprenticeships are vitally important in making sure that our young people have access to a wide range of careers. It is the conservative government that continues to back young people having delivered almost 5.7 million apprenticeships since 2010. I am excited to welcome all the new opportunities that will be available to the young people in our community and I will continue to fight to secure the best deal for our youth.”
