§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will publish the latest rate at which participants in the youth opportunities programme find work after the schemes; and whether there is a substantial difference in placement rates as between modules of the scheme.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe most recent survey of entrants to work experience schemes in the youth opportunities programme covered a sample of those young people who entered the programme in the period April to June 1980. It showed that just under 30 per cent. of those questioned went straight into employment on leaving their schemes and that by the time of the survey—six months later—that figure had risen to just under 33 per cent. A further 12 per cent. went into further education or another MSC scheme. The survey revealed some differences in placement rates between the various types of scheme, as follows:
per cent Work experience on employers' premises 32 *Community service 23 *Project based work experience 21 Training workshops 24 *Now amalgamated into community projects
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many school leavers participate in the youth opportunities programme as a percentage of the school leaving population in (a) each English region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales, (d) each Northern region county council and (e) each special programme board area.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonInformation is not available in the detail requested. The number of school leaver entrants to the youth opportunities programme in financial year 1980–81 as a percentage of the estimated 1980 school leaving population was as follows:
(1) (2) (3) 1980 school leaver entrants to YOP 1980–81 (2) as percentage of 1980 school leavers available for employment England 180, 700 31 Wales 22, 800 69 Scotland 30, 500 45 Great Britain 234, 000 34
§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people participate in the youth opportunities programme as a percentage of the 16 to 19 years age group in (a) each English region, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) in each Northern region county council and in each special programme board area.
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§ Mr. AlisonInformation is not available in the form requested. At the end of June 1980 there were some 3, 000, 000 16 to l9-year-olds in England and Wales, and about 350, 000 in Scotland. Between 1 April 1980 and the end of March 1981, about 310, 700 16 to 19-year-olds entered the youth opportunities programme in England and Wales—10 per cent.—and 49, 300 in Scotland—14 per cent.