§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement giving the details of those policies which have been introduced by her Department in each of the last five years in order positively to encourage individuals to improve their skills and qualifications.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe Government have taken a number of significant steps in the last five years to encourage individuals to improve their skills and qualifications.
These steps include: introduction of youth training and youth credits; introduction of employment training and employment action which merge into training for work from 1 April 1993; continued rapid development of the 530W system of national vocational qualifications and other measures to secure parity of esteem with academic qualifications; and introduction of training and enterprise councils.
Further details for each year can be found in the relevant departmental report.
§ Mr. Nicholas WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans she has to meet representatives of the Engineering Employers Federation, the Confederation of British Industry or the Manufacturing and Construction Industries Alliance to discuss ways in which her policies can more effectively encourage individuals to improve their qualifications or skills.
§ Mr. McLoughlinI will continue to hold frequent meetings with industry representatives to discuss policies relating to skills and qualifications, and the way individuals might make best use of them.