HC Deb 20 February 1979 vol 963 cc237-8
12. Mr. Newens

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the shortage of skilled engineering workers; and what steps he is currently taking to increase retraining facilities for men and women at present unemployed who would wish to undertake this form of employment.

Mr. Booth

Shortages of skilled engineering workers occur in particular locations and in relation to particular occupations and are more severe than one would expect with current levels of unemployment. The Manpower Services Commission is currently discussing with the Engineering Industry Training Board its proposals for dealing with future skill shortages as part of the Commission's programme of action—" Training for Skills ". The Commission is also increasing the provision of engineering training facilities as an aid to assist unemployed persons by providing for additional classes in engineering occupations in the new skillcentres which are being developed under the skillcentre expansion programme.

Mr. Newens

Does my right hon. Friend agree that, despite all the training and retraining facilities that have been provided, there are many unfilled vacancies for centre lathe turners, electricians, fitters and many other skilled engineering workers, even in areas where unemployment is high? In my own area, which is certainly not a high unemployment area, 60 such vacancies exist. In those circumstances, is not there a need to step up the training process so that people get the opportunity to equip themselves to do the jobs for which vacancies exist?

Mr. Booth

I share that view, and that is one of the reasons why I have been in touch with the chairmen of all the industrial training boards to ask them to provide estimates of how far they could ensure that their schemes would meet the future needs of industries. We are trying to match Government provision to that in a way that will provide opportunities for a number of unemployed people to acquire skills.

Mr. Madel

Is not the shortage made worse by the fact that in some areas there is a shortage of instructors in skillcentres and that when a person has completed a course some trade unions will not recognise it? What do the Government intend to do about those problems?

Mr. Booth

The latter problem is diminishing. The participation of trade unions in the various industrial training boards and the direct participation of the TUC in the Manpower Services Commission have done much to overcome that difficulty. Part of the problem of skilled people being able to obtain jobs lies in the question of transferability. Workers have skills in areas where they are not in demand. As a supplement to our industrial strategy, we are, through the MSC, providing an additional £500 to that normally paid under the employment transfer scheme to people who will move to fill a long-standing vacancy in one of the five sector working party industries that we have chosen to aid in pursuit of the industrial strategy.

Mr. Skinner

Does the Secretary of State agree that it is nonsense for anyone to talk in general terms about the closed shop affecting employment prospects? Is that fact not exemplified most clearly in the legal fraternity, where the number of lawyers is increasing, both in—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I think that the hon. Member for Bolsover (Mr. Skinner) is on the question that was not called.