HC Deb 21 May 1980 vol 985 cc199-201W
Mr. Cormack

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for the future, organisation and activities of the professional and executive register division of the Manpower Services Commission.

Mr. Jim Lester

As stated in the reply to the hon. Member for Stockport, North (Mr. Bennett) on 16 May 1980—[Vol. 984, c.678–9]—professional and executive recruitment (PER) will continue to

Official Report the drop-out rate on eight-week employment rehabilitation centre courses; and if he will state what percentage of the drop-outs leave employment rehabilitation centres in each week.

Mr. Jim Lester

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that of 7,219 people terminating ERC courses in the latest period for which information is available—between September 1978 and March 1979—1,076 or 14.91 per cent. terminated prematurely. ERC courses do not have a pre-determined length as they are adjusted to meet clients' individual needs. However, whilst normally courses last between 6–8 weeks, some may be as short as three weeks or, exceptionally, as long as 26 weeks. Details of termination from ERCs including percentages of premature terminations from ERCs in each week, for the period September 1978–March 1979 are set out below:

pursue its two main aims of providing recruitment services for employers seeking staff at the professional and executive levels and information and support services to help individuals seeking jobs at that level with their own job hunting efforts.

The service will continue to operate commercially as a separately managed part of the MSC's employment service division. There is, however, to be a major change in its operating procedures. The present computer system used as a means of identifying a first field of candidates against notified vacancies will be replaced by self-selection by jobseekers who each week will receive a jobs magazine giving details of all jobs notified to PER. Thus PER consultants will assemble short lists for employers from fields of self-selected candidates rather than from computer selections.

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that conversion to the new operating method is expected to be completed by October of this year.