London– On Monday (17^th June), Member of British Parliament, Virendra Sharma, attended a drop-in session hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Youth Employment and signed the Youth Friendly MP Charter.

Signing the Charter, he pledged his support to five key principles of youth employment in Ealing, Southall, namely:

Youth Voice – listening to young people in order to understand their barriers and challenges to employment, and work to help them to overcome these challenges.

Developing Young People – supporting quality learning and development opportunities for all young people, advocating education and training pathways that meet the needs of individuals.

Creating Opportunities – Supporting good quality youth employment and recognising those Youth Friendly Employers that are leading the way in offering quality early careers, work experience and employment opportunities to young people.

Recognising Young Talent – Celebrating the important role young people play in our local economy as employees, apprentices, and graduates, and their role in our local community through social action and volunteering.

Fair Employment – Helping to ensure that young people are treated fairly in the work they do.

After signing the Charter, MP Sharma said, “I will be leading the charge for creating Youth Friendly Communities; communities where every stakeholder (young people, government, educator, employer, parent, and youth group) is working together to create a place where all young people can fulfil their potential.”

A Labour party politician, Mr Sharma has been representing the Ealing Southall constituency in the British Parliament since 2007.