A CAMPAIGN by an Oxfordshire MP to help students find work experience has been successful with mor than 40 placements offered across the county.

David Johnston, who represents Wantage and Didcot, started his campaign to help students find placements after seeing the negative impact the pandemic had on schools finding work experiences places.

Employers from various sectors are taking part in the campaign including space satellite company, Astroscale, book publishers, Hachette UK Distribution, and multimedia company, Rebellion.

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Mr Johnston, who spent his pre-politics career running organisations to promote social mobility, believes that work experience placements are ‘vital’, particularly for disadvantaged young people.

As a result of the MP’s campaign, students are carrying out work experience placements across the constituency this week.

Mr Johnston visited several of the students at work to observe them in action and hear from them about what they have been working on, including Ed Neighbour who carried out work experience at Hachette UK Distribution.

The MP also personally hosted five local students in his Parliamentary office over the summer.

He said: “My pre-politics career was spent helping young people to get better education and employment opportunities and I have used that experience to help young people locally get the work experience they need.

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“We’ve had some fantastic employers across the constituency in a range of fields and I am very grateful to them and am delighted that so many young people are now getting the opportunity to show what they’re capable of.”

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Read more from this author

This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.

Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland

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