§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for Employment what steps he is taking to increase the number of apprenticeships in the engineering industry.
§ Mr. Golding, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 5th November; Vol. 918, c. 729], gave the following answer:
I am informed that the Manpower Services Commission has made funds available to the Engineering Industry Training, 113W Board to provide up to 5,000 additional young people with first-year off-the-job craft or technician training. The funds are being used to help ensure that the total intake of craft and technician apprentices to the industry reaches 25,000, the level that the Engineering Board considers necessary in 1976–77. This is being done by providing grants to employers who take on additional apprentices and offsetting any remaining shortfall in recruitment by providing first-year training under the board's sponsorship through a training award scheme.