LIZ KENDALL: 'Brits are desperate to work but too often denied the chance to train for local jobs'

This country has become too reliant on overseas labour. Labour is putting our homegrown talent first.

Across the country I meet people who are desperate to work. But too often they have been denied the opportunity to train for jobs on their doorstep.

This is a legacy of chronic underinvestment in domestic skills that has held people back and hindered our economy for too long.

Communities left behind. Talent overlooked. Potential wasted. People trapped out of work and on the scrapheap.

Our Immigration White Paper is raising the bar on who can come to the UK. But this isn’t just about reducing numbers – it is about creating opportunities for working people.

It will ensure employers wanting to use overseas labour to fill shortages below degree level are supported to develop plans to train local people first.

This will give people the chances they are crying out for, putting vital pounds in the pockets of working families and boosting our nation’s growth – the priority of our Plan for Change.

This government’s new approach will signal a new era in attracting top global talent – while supporting businesses to wean themselves off on cheap labour from overseas.

With one in eight young people not earning or learning, we must focus giving the next generation the skills they need so they can have a bright future.

We’ve already made a start. Our Youth Guarantee gives every 18-to-21-year-old the chance to earn or learn.

And our 17 Trailblazer schemes are pioneering a new approach, giving local leaders the power to get people back to work.

We are taking the tough decisions to get Britain working and growing again.

By raising skills, we raise living standards. By investing in our people, we secure our economic future.

A new era - of homegrown talent in homegrown jobs - starts today.

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