§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for Employment when recruitment will start to training award schemes and all other apprenticeship courses being offered by industrial training boards.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that the recruitment of apprentices under Industrial Training Board grant schemes to employers or boards' own training award schemes where these are needed could take place without delay. As usual, most engagements of apprentices are likely to take place between their date of leaving school and the start of the new academic year in September.
§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will pay training grants to employers to ensure that young people on short training courses continue with further courses when permanent positions cannot be found for them.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that young people completing short courses of direct training offered by the Training Services Agency may, subject to eligibility, proceed to further training in a wide range of subjects under the Training Opportunities Scheme. However, by making premium grants available to firms who take on addition young people for training in employment, the Government 371W have already ensured that many more young people will gain both continued instruction and the security of a job.
§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take action to improve the co-ordination between the Training Services Agency, the industrial training boards, technical colleges, training officers in industry, the careers service and schools, to ensure that the maximum use is made of training facilities by young people in the current period of high youth unemployment.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that existing arrangements for co-ordination between the training and education services are generally satisfactory, but they are kept constantly under review.
§ Mr. Wrigglesworthasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will provide special grants to any employer who will provide meaningful work experience to any unemployed young person; and if he will provide such young people with training allowances.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe Government are currently providing employment opportunities for young people through the Job Creation Programme and the Community Industry Scheme.
The Training Services Agency is providing courses aimed at preparing young people for permanent jobs in industry; and through the industrial training boards' premium grant award scheme employers are being encouraged to offer young people long-term training.
The Recruitment Subsidy for school leavers subsidises employers who give preference in recruitment to school leavers. We need to assess the effects and potential of these measures more fully before considering new ideas.