§ Mr. VIANTasked the Minister of Labour the number of persons who have passed through a course of training at the Government instructional centres, indicating the number allocated to each of the six trades; the actual period of training associated with each of the trades referred to; and what standard of proficiency was considered to be sufficient before these trainees were turned out?
§ Mr. BETTERTONUp to the end of October a total of 2,994 men had passed through a course of training at the day training centres for young unemployed men, to which I assume the hon. Member refers. Of this number 2,856 are known to have secured employment after training as follows:
1814W
— Wholly Unemployed. Temporarily Stopped. Men. Boys. Women. Girls. Total. Men. Boys. Women. Girls. Total Cotton 7,682 145 8,987 190 17,004 13,688 591 29,863 1,546 45,688 Woollen 4,254 107 2,970 115 7,446 4,842 62 5,492 236 10,632 Silk 711 19 686 63 1,479 398 6 1,323 91 1,818 Linen 242 17 323 28 610 283 26 1,027 140 1,476 Jute 924 11 1,418 16 2,369 97 2 186 5 290 Hemp 322 28 551 62 963 82 5 368 31 486 Hosiery 340 11 1,458 139 1,948 322 15 1,862 111 2,310 Lace 350 5 133 11 499 408 3 339 23 773 Carpet 268 6 284 15 573 230 — 559 19 808 Other Textiles 547 23 1,017 50 1,637 316 6 675 36 1,033 Total Textiles 15,640 372 17,827 689 34,528 20,666 716 41,694 2,238 65,314 1,543 in building and other works of construction, furniture making, packing case making and other woodworking trades;
416 in engineering and allied trades, including motor and cycle manufacture and repair;
22 in the electrical trades;
293 in road work and railway work;
582 in miscellaneous occupations.
The maximum period of training is limited to six months, but a proportion of the men leave earlier to take up work. The object of the scheme is not to train the men for any specific trade, but to improve their general employability by teaching them the use of simple tools and accustoming them to regular hours and workshop practice and discipline. No question, therefore, arises of fixing a definite standard of proficiency in particular trades.