§ 4. Mr. Ormeasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will state the number of school leavers who entered into apprenticeships during the last 12 months; and how these figures compare with England and Wales.
§ The Minister of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Paul Channon)The statistics do not relate specifically to school leavers but to young people on their first entry into employment. The most recent figures are for the calendar year 1971, when 3,276 or 24.5 per cent. of all young people entering employment took up apprenticeships. The comparable figures for Great Britain were 112,302 or 24.3 per cent.
§ Mr. OrmeI thank the hon. Gentleman for that reply. Does not he agree that there is a major problem with young people in Northern Ireland, as we witness daily on our television screens? Will the Government consider some special training schemes for apprenticeships through the training boards, even if employment is not readily available, so that young people can be given a trade and the basis for a start in life?
§ Mr. ChannonCertainly I will look at any suggestion that the hon. Gentleman cares to make. Already, a thousand boys are recruited by the Ministry of Health and Social Services each year to augment industry's intake of apprentices. Last week we announced a programme which included additional training for young people and other measures to help the employment situation. Certainly we intend to take energetic action about this.
§ Mr. KilfedderIs my hon. Friend satisfied that the definition of "apprenticeship training" current throughout the United Kingdom which is used to collect statistics of the kind just given by him does not grossly inflate the picture since, in most cases, the period of training is less than 12 months in duration and is sometimes only a few weeks?
§ Mr. ChannonI have no evidence that the definition is unsatisfactory. If my 938 hon. Friend has any, perhaps he will send it to me.