Congleton's MP has been giving young people a taste of life in politics.

Sarah Russell recently welcomed 17 local students, aged between 16 and 22, to her constituency office as part of a summer school programme designed to give young people a first-hand insight into working in politics and public service.

The students spent the day learning about the role of an MP, taking part in presentations and practical exercises that were tailored to give a realistic introduction to a career in politics.

Mrs Russell decided to host the summer school again this year following positive positive feedback from participants and teachers last year.

She said: "It was a pleasure to welcome such a fantastic group of young people to my office.

"The students show great enthusiasm and curiosity throughout the day and are a real credit to them, their families and places of education.

"Giving young people the opportunity to see how a workplace operates and learn about different career paths within politics and public service is incredibly important.

"I hope the experience has helped them to build confidence and networks that they can benefit from as they enter the job market."

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Mrs Russell was joined by the Mayor of Congleton, councillor Suzy Firkin, who delivered a session on local politics, explaining the role of councillors in supporting and delivering local services.

Councillor Firkin outlined the range of events and services facilitated by town and parish councils and led an interactive budgeting exercise where students were tasked with prioritising the needs of their community within a limited budget.

She said: "I really enjoyed the opportunity to speak with the students and give them an insight into the role of local councillors.

"They asked thoughtful questions and were genuinely interested in how local decisions are made and how they can make a difference in their communities.

"It is fantastic to see so many young people taking an interest in our local politics."

This initiative comes after new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, outlined ambitions for educational reform that would give secondary school pupils from Year 10 the opportunity to combine core academic subjects with technical learning in areas such as manufacturing and artificial intelligence. These proposals are expected to begin operating in some areas by 2028.

The Government has also announced new support measures to encourage more young people to take up apprenticeships, including bursaries of up to £4,500 for some families who otherwise might lose out financially due to changes in child benefit entitlements when a young person starts an apprenticeship.

This is alongside the Youth Jobs Grant that provides businesses with a £3,000 incentive per hire when they recruit a young person aged 18 to 24 who has been unemployed and on Universal Credit for six months.

The Government has also pledged to create more than 22,000 additional places across colleges and post-16 providers in other areas with a further £287 million investment.