LAST Friday had a real focus on education, training and skills.

First the other Dudley MPs and I met council bosses to talk about what they're doing to improve secondary education and plan a major campaign to raise the profile of skills.

Later on, after a series of other meetings, I had the fantastic job of presenting the certificates at Dudley College's awards evening.

It's great to hear about the students' fantastic achievements and congratulate them on all their successes.

It's humbling to meet people who've juggle studying to get new skills and get on in life with a full-time job and bringing up a family.

But it's great to see a hall full of ambitious young people, proud of what they've achieved but looking to the future and determined to get on in life.

I met Michele Lane who studied floristry and has now opened her own business - Floral Fusion - in Union Street. I popped in on Saturday to buy some of her superb flowers and hear about her plans.

She's proof that if you work hard and have ambition, the opportunities to work, to get skills and get on are greater than ever before. But I want to make sure that everyone who has the potential and qualifications to succeed in education should have the opportunity to do so.

Around the world, countries and companies are investing in new skills and if we're going to be able to prosper and compete and persuade business to invest here and bring high skill, high wage jobs in Dudley we must enable many more people to study and to get skills in the future.

And just as the world is changing, so too is our community There are greater movements of people and jobs than ever before Companies can shift production and move jobs overseas almost overnight.

And communities are changing in front of our eyes as more people come to the UK.

It's no wonder people feel insecure and we've got to show those in low-paid work or in the traditional industries that are bearing the brunt that we are on their side and will help them meet the challenges these changes create.

We can't hold back the tide of economic change and we can't protect every job.

But we've got more people at work than ever before and great opportunities in our economy and what we must do is show people that they can get the skills they need to get a new and better paid job.

That way we can give people the confidence that - however insecure they feel - they can adapt and then prosper in the future and we can build the confident, united community we all want to see in which people will not feel threatened by the changes taking place around them So I want to see the council and the college, employers and employees, business groups, schools and the LSC capitalising on the opportunity we've got from winning the Black Country Challenge and the extra investment it brings to raise the importance of education, skills and training and real work together to campaign for skills I want everyone in our community to agree that improving education and skills will be our community's number one priority.

Everyone - not just students at school or college - getting new skills.

Every local employer asking every employee what they can do to get new skills and move forward.

Every company linking up with a local school with staff visiting schools mentoring and encouraging children, and provide real work experience learning about business and enterprise and the world of work.

Let's think about what more we can do to get local universities working with pupils and persuading them to stay on, to go to college and university and get the very best skills they can.

Let's get every arts group and sports club involved and make extended schools the most exciting part of the day, so children can learn in new ways.

I want local businesses to make sure that jobs without training for young people are a thing of the past.

And the government must do more to find the people who've disappeared from the system, young people who dropped out and do whatever is necessary to make sure they do not spend the rest of their lives unemployed and on benefits.

Here in Dudley, let's make sure local people benefit from the expansion of our economy. I want the council and businesses to make sure local young people get the construction skills and the building work that will result from the new houses being built or the new offices and shops at Merry Hill instead of temporary workers from abroad.

That way we won't just change the appearance of the area with new buildings, but transform people's lives with new skills and careers.

And finally, I want every parent in our community understanding that they have the most important job of all - encouraging learning at home, supporting schools and teachers and making sure children arrive at school ready to learn and willing to behave.

If we do all that I think we can bring new businesses and well-paid jobs to Dudley in the future - and we can make sure everyone has the chance to fulfil their potential.