§ 125. Mr. Patrick ThompsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to improve the levels of skill in British industry; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CopeThe Government aim to encourage increased and more effective investment in skills training by British employers particularly to meet the challenges of demographic change and technological advance and the sharper competition which will result from the European single market in 1992.
Public expenditure on training has increased from over £450 million in 1979 to a planned £3 billion this year. The 567W Training Commission (formerly the Manpower Services Commission), will have increased employer representation and concentrates exclusively on training. It delivers a wide range of training programmes, to include employment training from September 1988, many of which lead to vocational qualifications.
The Training Commission is also reviewing its range of programmes to encourage employers' investment in training to meet their emerging skill needs.