Chesterfield MP and Shadow Skills Minister, Toby Perkins, gave his support to colleges across the country during a week-long of events marking ‘Love Our Colleges Week’.

Toby joined the Association of Colleges on Tuesday at their parliamentary reception where he spoke of how colleges transform the lives of learners and celebrated the dedication of college staff and students.

Last Thursday, Toby joined staff, learners and employers at Barnsley College for the opening of their Business Centre.

Barnsley College launched a new start-up hub in collaboration with the Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce.

Toby MP opened the Barnsley College Business Centre alongside business leaders and industry professionals, touring the facilities and hearing from speakers including David Akeroyd, Andy Hogg, Andrew Denniff and Eloise Clarkson.

Speaking at the event, Toby said: “I am delighted to be at Barnsley College to hear from staff, learners and local employers. As this is Colleges Week, I’m eager to celebrate the vital role that colleges play across their community”.

He added “Labour believes in a collaborative approach for the skills sector and it is great to see an example of this working well, with the launch of the Business Centre today”.