§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the number of industrial apprenticeships taken up in 1987; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NichollsInformation from the youth cohort study indicates that some 94,000 young people in England and Wales who reached minimum school-leaving age in the academic year 1985–86 were undertaking an apprenticeship in spring 1987. This is probably an under-estimate, as those who were unsure of their apprenticeship status have not been included. YTS is now the normal route into work for over two thirds of 16 year old school leavers in Great Britain, and is the basis for many modernised apprenticeships. About 393,000 young people are currently benefiting from the structured, quality training programmes offered under YTS.