§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what plans he has to help school leavers in the North Staffordshire region;
(2) if he will make a statement on the employment prospects for school leavers in North Staffordshire for the current year.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe careers services of the local education authorities are giving school leavers all possible assistance in finding employment. Prospects in general are less favourable than in the last two years, but the recruitment of school leavers normally extends over the period July to November and it is too early to make a reliable assessment.
School leavers in North Staffordshire, as in other areas, will benefit from the special training plans announced by the Manpower Services Commission on 2nd July; and further measures to help young people are under consideration as a result of the undertaking given in the White Paper, "The Attack on Inflation".
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take action to increase training opportunities for young people in North Staffordshire leaving school who cannot get apprenticeship employment.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe Manpower Services Commission announced on 2nd256W July 1975 the first part of a package of special measures which included the provision of 7,000 extra off-the-job training places for young people to train for craft and technician occupations through training award schemes operated by the industrial training boards and the availability of special grants to encourage employers in the construction industry to increase the recruitment of apprentices. A proportion of these awards and special grants will be available in the North Staffordshire area. Further initiatives to increase the opportunities for young people to train for skilled employment are now being discussed with training boards. These discussions are expected to result in additional training award scheme places for young school leavers.
§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many children left school in North Staffordshire at Easter; how many and what percentage of them have been placed in employment and how many remain unemployed; and how many and what percentage have continued their studies;
(2) how many children in North Staffordshire left school at the end of the summer term; how many and what percentage of them have been placed in employment; how many and what percentage remain unemployed; and how many and what percentage are expected to continue their studies.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerAbout 3,300 young people in North Staffordshire were eligible to leave school at Easter. Of these, 1,800 sought employment and 1,550—about 44 per cent.—continued with their studies. A further 5,300 will be eligible to leave at the end of the summer term but it is not yet known how many of them will remain in full-time education.
On 9th June—the latest date for which statistics are available—164 school leavers were registered as unemployed. Statistics do not define the date of leaving school, but it is estimated that 130 of these were Easter leavers and that about 7 per cent. of Easter leavers are still unemployed. The extent to which summer leavers will face unemployment cannot yet be assessed, but it is known that about 600 have already obtained offers of employment.