Caroline Ansell invited the boss of local green energy firm OHM to Downing Street recently to meet the Education Secretary at the Local Skills Champions Reception.
Chief executive Jason Lindfield went through the famous black door with Caroline and two of his apprentices Paddy Roe and Oscar Pavey for the event.
The MP invited the trio to highlight the fantastic work OHM is doing as a business to support so many apprentices, training them in skills to support the growing green economy.
Jason said: “We’ve always been huge advocates of apprenticeships and we just couldn’t be prouder of Paddy and Oscar.
“Huge thanks to Caroline Ansell for the ongoing support for our training and net zero work. Also, many thanks to Gillian Keegan for inviting us to Downing Street as Local Skills Champions.”
Oscar said: “It was a fantastic opportunity to speak with Gillian Keegan and Caroline Ansell about the importance of an apprenticeship scheme. I think that the scheme should be made more widely available to allow young people like me to be trained in skills.”
Caroline added: “What a pleasure to have Jason, Oscar and Paddy to No 10 for the skills champions reception. The focus they both had and their passion for what they were doing was inspiring.
“OHM is driving the green skills agenda in our town, working with companies, our local college and the Department for Education (DfE) to help us meet net zero while training the next generation in the skills they will need to work with these technologies.
“I can think of no better business to bring to Downing Street to meet the Secretary of State - herself a former apprentice – to acknowledge the brilliant work OHM is undertaking in our town.”
The company is working in partnership with DfE and East Sussex College to develop the OHM Green Training Hub in Hampden Park.
The Hub is used by the college and OHM to train students in installing heat pumps, solar panels, wind turbines, retrofit technologies and to understand future energy management and decarbonization.
The work will help meet the UK's net zero future ambition. Caroline attended the opening of the hub in 2022.