HC Deb 20 June 1966 vol 730 cc22-4W
Mr. English

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science, in view of the National Union of Students' report on Women and Higher Education, a copy of which has been sent to him, what steps his Department proposes to take to increase the opportunities and prospects for day release of young women in employment.

Mr. Goronwy Roberts

Courses in technical colleges are available equally to both sexes, and there are many different types of course of special interest to women. Local education authorities have been encouraged to make a special effort to increase the number of girls on day release in co-operation with employers.

The recommendations of the industrial training boards, which include education members are likely to lead to a general increase in day release numbers, and women are likely to be the main beneficiaries in those industries which by tradition employ a high proportion of women. It is the Government's policy that the proposals of industrial training boards will normally be approved only if the boards make it a condition of grants to employers that day release is provided for young people in occupations requiring a substantial amount of training.

Suitable opportunities will be taken to publicise courses in technical colleges which may be of special interest to women in the new Departmental publication ' On Course.