Youth Training Scheme (Hansard, 18 February 1986)

§ 3. Mr. Proctor
asked the Paymaster General how many persons are currently on YTS courses in the Billericay constituency; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Trippier
At 31 December 1985, the latest date for which statistics are available, there were some 700 young people in training on the youth training scheme in the Basildon local authority district, which contains the constituency of Billericay.
From 1 April 1986 YTS will offer two years of vocational and work-based training for 16-year-old school leavers and one year for 17-year-olds, giving everyone who takes part in it the chance of a vocational qualification recognised by industry. It will be a partnership between Government, industry and trainers and will help to produce the better qualified young work force which industry needs.

§ Mr. Proctor
Despite the attempt by some Labour politicians to rubbish the youth training scheme, will my hon. Friend confirm that 80 per cent. of youngsters who have completed the course believe that it is worth while?

§ Mr. Trippier
My hon. Friend is correct. More than 80 per cent. of the youngsters who have taken advantage of YTS have been well satisfied with the training that they have received. I am a little confused as to where the Labour party stands on this issue. The hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman), in the debate a week last Monday, said that broadly he supported the scheme, but some of his colleagues are content to rubbish it. I often wonder how many youngsters are deterred from going on the YTS because they believe that kind of cant.

§ Mr. Sheerman
The Minister is well aware that the Opposition support two-year training under the YTS or any other banner. He should not compare Billericay, with its 20 per cent. of young people who do not finish with a job, with the 40 per cent. and over in the northern region with no jobs after YTS. What will he do about the disparities between places such as Billericay and the others which have been doubly hit by the lack of employment opportunity at the end of YTS and the Government's wicked way of closing mode B provision and not replacing it with premium placings?

§ Mr. Trippier
I welcome the hon. Gentleman's earlier remarks. They were a reaffirmation of what he said in the debate a week last Monday, that, broadly, the Labour party supports the scheme. We regard it as a quality scheme. The House will be interested to hear that 86 per cent. of the places available on the two-year scheme have already been found. The fear that he expressed in the debate a week last Monday seems to be unfounded.