§ Mr. Dan Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many firms in the engineering industry which employ skilled men have never set up in their own establishments apprenticeship sections.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that information is not available in the form requested. However, I understand that of the 31,441 places available for the first year off-the-job training of engineering apprentices, 15,730 were provided by engineering companies, the remainder being in colleges of further education, group training associations and Engineering Industry Training Board centres.
§ Mr. Dan Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Employment if, in post war years, any appeal has been made by the Government to the Confederation of British Industry that it should initiate a campaign within its own movement for the setting up of apprenticeship schemes in all industrial establishments, including, in particular, engineering, where skilled men and women are employed.
§ Mr. GoldingSuccessive Governments have urged employers to train enough apprentices to meet their long-term needs. During the current recession the Government have made resources available to safeguard that aim. The Manpower 113W Services Commission, on which the Confederation of British Industry is represented, is, with Government approval, implementing an action programme to ensure that skill shortages should not arise through inadequate training of apprentices and other trainees.