My earliest experiences of the world of work were Saturday jobs at Dixons and Chelsea Girl, weekend waitressing at TGI Fridays and office temping during the school and university holidays.
These jobs taught me a huge amount. I learnt about the importance of getting to work on time, dealing with people from all walks of life, getting on with members of a team, being accurate and efficient and making the sums add up at the end of the day.
It's no exaggeration to say these jobs helped me develop some of the basic skills I now rely on in my current role.
They taught me things I could never have learned in a classroom or a lecture theatre.
While my first jobs seem like only yesterday, times have really changed.
Dixons no longer does a roaring trade in cassette players, Chelsea Girl is known as River Island and, thanks to the last Labour Government, waiting staff are guaranteed a minimum wage.
But not every change is welcome. The once-common experience of young people earning extra cash and learning vital skills through Saturday jobs is fast becoming a thing of the past.
The UK Commission for Employment and Skills says only 20 per cent of 16 or 17-year-olds now have evening or weekend jobs while they're still at school or college, compared with 40 per cent in the late 1990s.
The recession has clearly taken its toll and youth unemployment remains unacceptably high.
Businesses that are recruiting prefer employees with more experience and adults who really want to work full-time are settling for part-time work instead.
Many companies rely on word of mouth to fill vacancies, which disadvantages young people who don't have the right contacts.
Long-term trends are also having an effect, such as more people shopping online.
The priority for young people who are still at school or college must be focusing on their studies, but we shouldn't lose out on the huge benefits good work experience can bring.
This issue was raised with me by companies on my Leicester West Business Forum.
Employers told me too many young people lacked the basics of a good work ethic – reliability, punctuality and the communication and numeracy skills they need to get on.
But these employers also understand that young people face a catch 22 situation: they can't get work without experience but they can't gain experience without work.
Work experience alone won't cure the chronic problems of youth unemployment in my constituency.
We need ambitious national policies such as Labour's compulsory jobs guarantee, gold-standard technical qualifications and high-quality apprenticeships.
However, good work experience can make a difference.
I'm determined to play my part by backing initiatives and working with our schools, colleges and businesses.
I would encourage all employers to get involved.
If you run a business, you can offer a placement through Leicester College by ringing 0116 224 2240 or e-mailing:
info@leicestercollege.ac.uk
