§ Mr. Mossasked the Minister of Labour whether he will state the number of apprentices recruited each year by industry over a recent convenient period of years; and what increase in annual recruitment he expects in order to cope with the increasing number of school leavers over the next few years.
§ Mr. WoodThe numbers of boys and girls between 15 and 17 taking up full-time employment for the first time who entered apprenticeships or learnerships, or employment likely to lead to apprenticeships or learnerships, in each of the years 1953 to 1957 were as follow. (The figures do not include some young persons to whom national insurance cards had already been issued while they were still at school in respect of holiday or other spare-time employment.)
Thousands Year Boys Girls 1953 … … 94.4 15.4 1954 … … 88.4 14.8 1955 … … 96.8 15.6 1956 … … 93.2 15.9 1957 … … 95.2 16.8 Between 1961 and 1965 the average number of boys and girls reaching the age of 15 each year will be 35 per cent. higher than in 1956, and to maintain the 1956 proportion entering skilled occupations would entail an increase of about that order. The desirable rate of increase will, however, vary from one occupation to another and not all skilled occupations are entered by way of apprenticeship or learnership.