§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many young people have started accelerated modern apprenticeships in Wales, by local authority. [8525]
§ Mr. Jonathan EvansThe information is not available in the form requested. However, the number of young people who have started on accelerated modern apprenticeships in each of the training and enterprise council areas of Wales are detailed in the following table:
Cumulative starts on accelerated modern apprenticeships by TEC area as at 10 November 1996 Name of training and enterprise council Starts on accelerated modern apprenticeships Gwent 192 Mid Glamorgan 135 North-east Wales 308 North-west Wales 94 Powys 37 South Glamorgan 161 West Wales 337 Wales total 1,264
§ Mr. RogersTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what was his Department's initial forecast of the number of places available on accelerated modern apprenticeships in Wales. [8526]
§ Mr. EvansThe departmental report published in March 1995 estimated that 1,000 young people would enter accelerated modern apprenticeships in 1995–96, the first year of the programme. In the event, 850 places were contracted with the Welsh TECs for that year and 843 young people commenced training. Planning assumptions for 1996–7 and 1997–8 are for around 1,100 new starts in each year, but as indicated in the departmental report,338W published in March 1996, in practice the balance between accelerated modern apprenticeships and modern apprenticeships will vary according to local demands.