§ Mr. Parkasked the Secretary of State for Employment what facilities are available in the Coventry area for training and retraining: and what numbers can be accommodated.
§ Mr. Jim Lester[pursuant to his reply, 8 August 1980, c. 404]: The main responsibility for the provision of training anda retraining rests with employers. Information on the number of training and retraining places provided by employers is not available.
The Manpower Services Commission operates three programmes which directly provide training and retraining opportunities: first, the training opportunities scheme (TOPS), which provides training or retraining for adults aged 19 and over in the MSC's skillcentres, colleges of further education and at employers establishments.
In the Coventry area there are currently 508 skillcentre places operational. made up as follows:
Coventry Skillcentre 176 Coventry Annexe 92 Castle Bromwich Skillcentre 240 508 Colleges of further education and employers establishments are not exclu- 160W sively used for TOPS training or retraining. The planned level of TOPS training starts in these establishments in the Coventry area is set out in the following table:
1980–81 Colleges 422 Employers Establishments 195 Total 617 Information on the number of places in these establishments, not used by TOPS, is not available. In addition, outside the Coventry area, but within daily travelling distance, a further 1,024 training or retraining starts are planned in colleges and employers' establishments in 1980–81.
Secondly, the Manpower Services Commission provides direct training services to employers for training and retraining their employees in-plant or in the MSC's own establishments with resources made available according to demand. During 1979–80 some 41,441 people nationally were trained through these services, of whom 205 were in Coventry. The commission hopes to expand these services.
Thirdly, there is the youth opportunities programme, under which training courses and work experience programmes have been offered to young people. In the Coventry area in 1980–81 it is anticipated that between April and September 161W 700 training places will be available and that 1,285 young people will start training during this period.