§ 22. Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what special measures he plans to offer training and employment opportunities to young people in local communities with particularly high rates of unemployment.
§ Miss WiddecombeUnemployment need not be an option for young people because this Government guarantee a training place for 16 and 17-year-olds who have left full-time education and do not yet have a job.
Our plans also include the introduction of modern apprenticeships offering young people high quality work-based training leading to higher level qualifications.
If employers respond, as we hope they will, modern apprenticeships will treble to over 40,000 a year the 549W number of young people who qualify at national vocational qualification level 3 or above through our programmes in England.
§ 23. Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of youth training.
§ Miss WiddecombeSince 1983, over 3½ million young people have benefited from high quality vocational training by participating in youth training and its predecessors. The increasing availability of youth credits and the introduction of modern apprenticeships will encourage even more young people to train, and to higher levels.