Anne Milton MP
Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills
What I do
I am a Member of Parliament (MP), which means I represent the people in my local area – Guildford and parts of Waverley. It includes helping people who come to me with all sorts of problems. I was recently appointed as a Minister at the Department for Education, responsible for improving skills and increasing the number of apprenticeships.
How I got my job
I started out as an apprentice nurse and spent 25 years in the NHS. I then decided that there weren’t enough women MPs! You don’t need any particular qualifications, but you do need to be hard-working.
What I love about my job
I get to meet lots of different people – from people who work in business or charities, to teachers and students, or apprentices and nurses. One of the best parts is going into schools to talk about my job and to encourage students to think about being an apprentice. I also love being able to tell students why democracy is important.
What’s difficult about my job
My job is very, very busy and it means travelling quite a lot. You just have to be able to juggle a lot of different things at the same time!
What skills I need
You do need to enjoy not only talking to people, but listening to them as well. The important thing is that you need to want to make the world a better place and make a difference to people’s lives.
How we’re trying to increase the apprenticeship opportunities for kids
We are doing lots in the Government to make sure apprenticeship opportunities are out there. What is really important is that you and your parents can find out about apprenticeships at school. There are apprenticeships in every type of job – from hairdressing to engineering, social work to baking.
There is lots of information on the internet about apprenticeships, so get online and have a look.
What sort of age kids should be when they start thinking about their options
You can start at any age, and you shouldn’t stop until you retire. Most people do lots of different jobs throughout their lives, so never limit yourself to one.
Why work experience is useful
Any chance you get to go and visit people in their jobs, grab it! It is really important to talk to people who are already working to find out how they got to be doing the job they’re doing.
How do you think our First Careers videos could help kids to work out what kind of career they want?
I think the videos are brilliant and will help you to think about the types of jobs out there that you can do. There are so many jobs out there, it’s about finding the right one for you!
