§ 25. Sir Michael NeubertTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if she will make a statement on progress on job plan.
§ Mrs. Gillian ShephardThe new job plan programme, which I announced in the autumn statement, was launched on 29 March. Job plan workshops are one week events which help unemployed people assess their strengths, consider the employment and training options open to them and offer a priority in the application process to join other employment and training programmes.
Workshops are now being run throughout the country by a range of organisations from the private, public and voluntary sectors contracted to the employment service. Over 5,000 people are starting each week.