HC Deb 08 July 1974 vol 876 cc347-53W
Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will give the figures, for each of the employment service offices within the Melton parliamentary constituency, of the number of persons undergoing courses under the Training Opportunities Scheme at present, indicating in each case the number at Government training centres and the number at colleges of further education.

Mr. John Fraser

I regret that the Manpower Services Commission has advised me that this information is not readily available and could be produced only a disproportionate cost.

Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many mature married women have received training in secretarial or clerical skills in the last 12 months under the Training Opportunities Scheme; what are the equivalent figures for each of the employment service offices within the Melton parliamentary constituency; and whether he will indicate in each case the number of women receiving full TOPS assistance, and who are only receiving infill grants.

Mr. John Fraser

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that the information is not available. However, on 31st May 1974 there were about 4,400 secretarial and clerical trainees aged 35 or over under the Training Opportunities Scheme, the majority of whom were women. The equivalent figures for the Melton parliamentary constituency are not available.

I am also advised by the commission that the allowance paid to a trainee on a course run exclusively for TOPS trainees does not differ from that paid to a trainee on an "in-fill" course.

Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average length of time that it has been necessary for married women who have received training under the Training Opportunities Scheme in secretarial or clerical work to be found a post by his employment service offices; and what are the equivalent figures for each of the offices in the Melton parliamentary constituency.

Mr. John Fraser

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that precise information is not available as many women trainees make their own employment arrangements. However, nationally about 75 per cent. of women are known to have entered employment on completion of a course in a college of further education under the Training Opportunities Scheme.

Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will identify in tabular form in the OFFICIAL REPORT, both as a number and a percentage, the total number of persons who have completed courses for each separate skill since the inception of the Training Opportunities Scheme, indicating also for each skill what proportion were trained in Government training

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES SCHEME
NUMBER OF PERSONS COMPLETING COURSES—SEPTEMBER 1972 TO MARCH 1974 (* see Footnote)
(1) (2) (1)+(2)
GTC's CFE's Total
Trade Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Number
CONSTRUCTION
Bricklaying 2,582 98.9 28 1.1 2,610
Carpentry and joinery 2,697 99.9 3 0.1 2,700
Heating and ventilating fitting 644 99.8 1 0.2 645
House painting 258 93.5 18 6.5 276
Pipe fitting (PCI). 1 100.0 1
Plastering 305 96.8 10 3.2 315
Plumbing 1,512 99.3 10 0.7 1,522
Slating and tiling. 38 100.0 38
Street masonry and paving 189 100.0 189
Woodcutting machining 234 97.1 7 2.9 241
Welding—Pipe CITB 15 75.0 5 25.0 20
Total 8,475 99.0 82 1.0 8,557
ENGINEERING PRODUCTION
Automatic lathe setting 29 100.0 29
Boring setting/machining 66 100.0 66
Capstan setting/operating 1,852 100.0 1,852
Centre lathe turning 1,228 99.4 8 0.6 1,236
Engineering—Blind Persons 120 100.0 120
Milling setting/operating 1,040 100.0 1,040
Precision grinding 560 100.0 560
Sheet metal working (mec) 422 100.0 422
Sheet and plate metal fabrication/welding 323 92.3 27 7.7 350
Toolmaking fitting and machining 119 100.0 119
Welding—electric are (pipe) 7 31.8 15 68.2 22
Welding—electric are (plate) 2,243 99.4 13 0.6 2,256
Total 8,009 99.2 63 0.8 8,072
ENGINEERING SERVICING
Draughtsman 255 100.0 255
Engineering Inspection 106 93.8 7 6.2 113
Fitting—general 682 100.0 682
Fitting—jig and tool 83 100.0 83
Fitting—machine tool maintenance 89 100.0 89
Fitting—pneumatic and hydraulic 274 100.0 274
Instrument fitting and machining 412 100.0 412
Total 1,901 99.6 7 0.4 1,908

courses and what proportion in colleges of further education.

Mr. John Fraser

I have assumed that by "skills" the hon. Member has in mind the manual skills taught in skill-centres. The following table, supplied by the Manpower Services Commission, gives the information requested. In addition, a very small number of people were trained in employers' establishments.

(1) (2) (1)+(2)
GTC's CFE's Total
Trade Number Per cent. Number Per cent Number
ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS
Electrical installation and maintenance A (C & G 185) 403 99.8 1 0.2 404
Electrical installation and maintenance B (C & G 231) 17 100.0 17
Electronic wiring and circuit testing 796 99.4 5 0.6 801
Fitting electrical 309 100.0 309
Instrument maintenance 369 100.0 369
NC machine electronic maintenance 11 100.0 11
Radio, TV and electronic servicing 1,141 97.3 32 2.7 1,173
Total 3,046 98.8 38 1.2 3,084
PLANT AND AUTOMOTIVE TRADES
Agricultural machinery repairs and maintenance 347 100.0 347
Contractors' plant repair and maintenance 901 100.0 901
Heavy vehicle repair and maintenance 776 100.0 776
Motor vehicle—body building 67 100.0 67
Motor vehicle—body repair 567 100.0 567
Motor vehicle—repair and maintenance 2,719 99.9 4 0.1 2,723
Motor vehicle—spray painting 418 100.0 418
Motor vehicle—combined SP and BR 18 100.0 18
Total 5,813 99.9 4 0.1 5,817
GENERAL SERVICING
Typewriter repair and maintenance 198 100.0 198
Watch and clock repair 122 99.2 1 0.8 123
Total 320 99.7 1 0.3 321
MISCELLANEOUS
Boat fitting 9 100.0 9
Food Preparation 84 33.9 164 66.1 248
Furniture—cabinet making 33 100.0 33
Hairdressing (Mens) 412 99.5 2 0.5 414
Scientific glass blowing 25 100.0 25
Screen process printing 62 100.0 62
Sewing machining. 61 24.0 193 76.0 254
Store keeping 193 93.7 13 6.3 206
Tailoring 62 98.4 1 1.6 63
Total 941 71.6 373 28.4 1,314
Grand Total 28,505 98.0 568 2.0 29,073
* Note: These statistics are collated quarterly and include the quarter ending in September 1972. As the Training Opportunities Scheme started on 8th August 1972, some of the completions included in the figures were the result of trainees who commenced their courses under the former Vocational Training Scheme.

Mr. Michael Latham

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many persons have been trained under the Training Opportunities Scheme since its inception; what percentage failed to complete the course; what has been the cost to public funds to date; and how much has been received from EEC sources.

Mr. John Fraser

I am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that from the inception of the Training Opportunities Scheme in August 1972 to the end of March 1974, over 56,000 trainees completed courses under the scheme.

Precise information about the overall percentage of people who failed to complete courses is not at present available, but over the period in question it is estimated that about 18 per cent. of those who started failed to complete courses.

The cost to public funds of the Training Opportunities Scheme over the same period was of the order of £72 million.

The European Social Fund allocated f1063 million in 1973 for TOPS training in most of the assisted areas and for training of disabled people generally.