§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment what measures are planned under the Government youth opportunities programme for job creation for young people in (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands in 1981.
§ Mr. Jim LesterThe youth opportunities programme provides work experience and training schemes rather than job creation. Area plans for 1981–82 will not be finalised until the new year, but the range of scheme types available nationally under the programme in 1980–81 will continue to be offered on a larger scale in 1981–82. Plans are not broken down below special programmes area level.
The following types of scheme are currently available in Wolverhampton and the West Midlands:
- Work experience on employer's premises
- Project-based wore experience
- Training workshops
- Community service
- Short training courses
- Remedial and preparatory courses
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment what sums will be allocated to (a) Wolverhampton and (b) the West Midlands for each of the job creation schemes run by his Department in 1981; and how this compares with the sums for the current financial year.
§ Mr. Jim LesterAnnual plans for special programmes for the unemployed—the special temporary employment programme for certain unemployed adults and the youth opportunities programme for unemployed young people—are prepared by the 28 area boards which cover convenient geographical areas. These are not properly described as job creation schemes.
I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that the Birmingham area board, which has jurisdiction 231W over the West Midlands, has in common with all others throughout Great Britain, no budget of its own. Budgets were allocated to area boards as part of the planning process during the first year of operations of special programmes. For the second and subsequent financial years area boards have been asked to prepare plans which would meet the needs of unemployed young people in terms of both scale and type of provision. No financial limitations are imposed at area level. The plan submitted by the Birmingham board for 1980–81 was approved, and revised plans have been submitted. Area boards have not yet submitted plans for 1981–82.
The Community Industry—CI—scheme, scheme, which is separate from YOP and STEP but which provides temporary employment for disadvantaged young people, has no unit in Wolverhampton. However, the scheme has two units — areas — in the West Midlands, one at Birmingham and the other covering Coventry-Nuneaton. It is estimated that the cost of running the Birmingham unit during 1980–81, excluding those costs borne by the local authority in the provision of accommodation, tools ind equipment, will be some £450,000. The estimated cost of the Coventry-Nuneaton unit for 1980–81, excluding local authority expenditure, is £390,000. Thus, the estimated cost of CI in the West Midlands for 1980–81 is some £840,000.
The Secretary of State has announced plans to increase CI's national complement by 1,000 places, from 6,000 to 7,000 places. CI has yet to make its proposals to the
Full-time manual employees in production industries (excluding coal mining) and some services* Average weekly earnings (£) Increase over period (per cent.) Average annual rate of increase (per cent.) October 1948 October 1979 Men aged 21 and over 6.90 96.94 1,305 8.9 Women aged 18 and over 3.71 58.24 1,470 9.3 * Transport and communication (except railways and sea transport), certain miscellaneous services and public administration.