HC Deb 31 October 1989 vol 159 cc171-2W
67. Mr. Nigel Griffiths

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on those achieving vocational qualifications in retail business in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Nicholls

The number achieving full retail vocational qualifications in the United Kingdom during the academic year 1988–89 was 11,536. In addition, the Scottish Vocational Education Council awarded 7,332 modules for retail distribution.

86. Mrs. Mahon

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how his Department intends to increase the numbers of those achieving vocational qualifications in clothing in Britain.

Mr. Nicholls

Work on national vocational qualifications (NVQs) for the clothing industry is being co-ordinated by the clothing and allied products industry training board (CAPITB).

With encouragement from the then Manpower Services Commission, the CAPITB was among the first industry training boards to develop NVQs based on occupational standards. There are already considerable numbers of young people training towards NVQs as machinists, an occupation in which previously few employees were qualified. The Training Agency of the Employment Department has required that those on YTS for machining occupations within the clothing industry are given the opportunity of working towards the NVQ or credit towards it.

In addition, the CAPITB is receiving specialist advice and a substantial amount of money via the Training Agency's standards programme to assist it to develop high-quality NVQs which reflect the competences employees need to work in other areas of the industry such as cutting and pressing.