HC Deb 05 June 1996 vol 278 cc477-8W
Mr. Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the numbers involved in the youth training scheme, the completion rate, the qualifications achieved and the numbers who are in or moved on to full-time work. [303791

Mr. Ancram

Responsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its chief executive, Mr. Ian Walters. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Ian Walters to Mr. Tony Worthington, dated 5 June 1996: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency to reply to your question. In the year ended 31 March 1996, a total of 10,543 young people aged 16 and 17 years entered the Agency's Jobskills training programme which was introduced in Northern Ireland on 3 April 1995 to replace the Youth Training and Job Training Programmes. During that period 3,534 left without completing their programme, of whom 1,620 (46%) entered employment, full-time education or another form of training. Training periods in the new programme range from 39 weeks to 156 weeks depending on the occupational area and level of qualification being followed. The large majority of young people did not join the programme until after 30 June 1995, the single school leaving date in Northern Ireland. More than 90% of the trainees are in training programmes lasting 52 weeks ore more and will not complete their training until 30 June 1996 at the earliest. Information on completion rates, qualifications achieved and numbers of trainees moving into employment will be available in due course. However, I can provide data from the Jobskills pilot programme which operated in two areas of Northern Ireland from 1 September 1992 to 31 March 1995. A total of 7,311 people, including 4,417 young people started training in the pilot programmes. In excess of 50% of those who joined these programmes achieved a full National Vocational Qualification at Level 2 or above. To date, 68% of those who left the pilot programmes have found employment. The figures for residual trainees in the Youth Training Programme for the year ended 31 March 1996 show that 29.8% of leavers achieved a NVQ at Level 2 or above. 7,089 young people left the programme during this period of whom 3,312 (65%) entered employment and 210 (4%) full-time education. I hope you find this helpful