§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to fill the places not taken up in 213W the Government training centres in the Northern Region.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkEvery effort is made to use Government training centres' capacity to the full. There is at present some spare capacity in a number of trades in centres in Northern Region. The facilities available have been widely publicised and urgent steps are taken to inform suitable registrants at local employment offices of courses with unfilled places.
October, 1970 October, 1972 Government Training Centre Available places Unfilled places Available places Unfilled places Billingham … … 249 40 235 84 Darlington … … 151 26 104 28 Durham … … 342 67 286 98 Felling … … 340 66 322 119 Killingworth … … 292 46 269 72 Maryport … … 85 20 85 44 Middlesbrough … … 164 26 — — Total … … 1,623 291 1,301 445 In October, 1970, 66 per cent. of the available places were occupied, compared with 82 per cent. in October, 1972, when the number of places available had increased by 25 per cent.
Under the Training Opportunities Scheme which was introduced in August, it is planned to increase the number of places available in Government training centres to about 18,000 by 1975, as compared with 11,000 in July, 1971. Over 440 new places will be provided in Northern Region, of which 360 are expected to be available by mid-1973. Greater use is also being made of training facilities in colleges of further education and employers' establishments.
By 1975 not less than 60,000–70,000 people a year will receive training in these establishments and in Government training centres, and this figure will be raised as soon as possible to 100,000. This compares with an expected output of 30,000 in 1972. Northern Region will benefit fully from the expansion and 570 trainees are already in training there in colleges and employers' establishments.