Education Secretary Justine Greening praises East Kent College following pre-election visit

Craig Mackinlay, Justine Greening and Graham Razey

Education policy and further education innovation were two of the topics discussed during a visit The Yarrow Hotel by Education Secretary Justine Greening on Tuesday.

Ms Greening took a tour of the hotel, based on the East Kent College site in Broadstairs, meeting staff and college youngsters who are training in catering and hospitality.

She was accompanied by South Thanet parliamentary candidate for the Tories, Craig Mackinlay.

Mrs Greening said: “It was great to visit East Kent College with Craig Mackinlay and to see first-hand how the college is helping young people develop the knowledge and skills they need to build successful careers.

“Making sure all our young people can realise their talents has never been more important for our country. It was really helpful to discuss the opportunities and challenges for further education with Craig and East Kent College Principal Graham Razey during my visit.”

Mr Razey added: “It was fantastic to host Justine and Craig at our training hotel, The Yarrow, in Broadstairs, and show them the work we’re doing to get students career ready.

“It was also a great opportunity to discuss education policy and Justine was extremely receptive to many of our ideas. Innovation like The Yarrow is never simple, but with Government backing we can continue to change lives and develop real prosperity within the communities we serve.”

The Yarrow Hotel is the only training hotel on a further education site in the country. It celebrates its first anniversary this July.

Ms Greening’s visit comes ahead of the snap General Election announced by PM Theresa May in April.

Polling day is June 8