The Reading lab where pupils do fun science experiments

The BayLab by Bayer UK is a teaching space for primary and secondary school pupils making visits.

Bayer is a leading pharmaceutical company, with its lab featuring a range of exciting teaching areas, including large insect figures and workstations for experiments.

It also provides a place to train apprentices at the company's offices in Green Park, Whitley.

The laboratory was recently visited by Yuan Yang, the Labour MP for Earley and Woodley, who represents the area.

During the visit, she was taught how to make lip balm using beeswax and avocado oil, and spoke with Bayer executives.

Explaining the reason for the visit, Ms Yang said: "So they are obviously a really big employer in the constituency and also part of the life sciences sector, which is a really important strategic sector in terms of the growth areas for the UK economy.

"A few weeks ago I asked in an oral question to the Department of Business and Trade ways in which we can improve investment into the life sciences sector in the Thames Valley, because that's not only a national sector of strategic importance, it's also particularly where we shine in the Thames Valley.

"In terms of what we're best at locally, it's encouraging to see more investment and growing the existing businesses that we have here in this cluster.

"Pivoting from the economics to the kind of education side of things, it's really fun to see what's going on in that lab.

"As a large pharmaceutical and life science company, they [Bayer] have so many more tools at their disposal to make the learning more concrete for kids.

"Over the last few months there has been a lot of discussion in education circles about the need for kids to have those hands on, rich experiences. So rather than just learning the theory, they can see how things actually work in practice.

"Most primary schools don't have the facilities to show that in class, so I think it's really important that they can be experiences like this for kids around the area to actually see science work in action.

"The ideal would be that more primary schools would have these facilities, with the recruitment of extra teachers that we [Labour] are promising to the sector, we would like there to be more teachers trained in those specialist areas, so they can confidently deliver maths and science classes in schools.

"But given that many schools aren't in that position right now, many schools are strapped for both specialist teachers and facilities, so it's really wonderful that businesses and the community can step into that role."

Bayer employees also discussed possible reforms to the apprenticeship system.

Since 2017, businesses valued over £3 million pay an apprentice levy to fund training opportunities.

Bayer has 37 professional levy users and 14 young apprentices.

The government has plans to make changes to the levy.

Ms Yang said: "At the Labour Party conference, Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer announced the Youth Guarantees that young people will be in higher education, training or employment.

"I'm very keen to see all the details of that announcement, but apprenticeships are really important.

"We've had an apprenticeship levy on companies for many years in this country. We as a government don't think that it's working that well at present and we'd like more of that to be going towards training as well, certainly for the kinds of young people that we met who are fresh out of compulsory education.

"They need that kind of 'bridge' into the working world and I think that's the focus of where the government's apprenticeship strategy is going.

"Of course, it will always be the need as well for retraining people mid-career and at higher executive levels.

"But right now I think the focus is on getting more young people into the doors of businesses like the people we met."

The visit took place on Thursday, October 3.

BayLab was opened by Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May in June 2018.