§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many people were in full-time employment in the Sheffield travel-to-work area in May of each of the years 1971 to 1977.
§ Mr. GoldingFollowing is the information for each of the years 1971 to 1975, the latest date for which employment figures are available for travel-to-work areas:
TOTAL NUMBERS OF EMPLOYEES IN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT Sheffield travel-to-work area (Thousands) June each year 1971 … … … … 238.1 1972 … … … … 228.6 1973 … … … … 234.2 1974 … … … … 221.5 1975 … … … … 223.5 Note: Full-time workers are defined as those normally employed for more than 30 hours per week.
§ Mr. Hooleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the special steps being taken to alleviate the unemployment of young people in Sheffield; and if he will report on the findings of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary on his recent visit to Sheffield.
§ Mr. GoldingSince first introduced during 1975, the full range of the Government's special measures for alleviating unemployment among young people has been available to those unemployed in Sheffield. Under the job creation scheme 107 projects have been approved providing 829 jobs, of which about 50 per cent. have been taken up by young people; 70 schemes have been supported594W under the work experience programme, with some 200 young people now participating; and the employment of 324 young people has been assisted under the youth employment subsidy scheme. A wide range of short-term training courses provided by the Training Services Agency during 1976–77 have recently terminated because of the closure of further education colleges for the summer vacation. but 20 young people are currently on courses at employers' establishments. Many other young people have been assisted with apprenticeship and other training under various schemes provided by industry training boards.
All these measures have been expanded and extended to help meet the needs of this year's school leavers and, as announced by my right hon. Friend on 29th June, the Government are also implementing in full the recommendations contained in the recent report "Young People and Work" produced by the Manpower Services Commission. When fully operative, the programme should provide work experience or training to some 230,000 young people each year.
During the course of my recent visit to Sheffield, at an informal meeting with careers officers and youth and community education officers the problems of youth unemployment were discussed and the Government's special measures were warmly welcomed.