§ 14. Mr. TrendTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people have taken up training credits; and what plans he has to extend the scheme.
§ Mr. David HuntMore than 100,000 young people in England have started using youth credits and we intend to extend them throughout England next year.
§ Mr. TrendCan my right hon. Friend confirm that the volume and variety of training experience for our young people has increased through training credits, and that modern apprenticeships should further increase the scope of training opportunities for our young people?
§ Mr. HuntYes, I agree with my hon. Friend. Not only do we have one of the lowest rates of youth unemployment in the European Union—or well below the European Union average. In the new modern apprenticeship scheme, we now have some exciting new opportunities for all 16, 17 and, subsequently, 18 and 19-year-olds to start work-based training in an apprenticeship mode which I believe will be an example to the rest of Europe.