§ 21. Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for an extension of Government-sponsored training and retraining schemes, especially for unemployed school leavers.
§ Mr. GoldingI am advised by the Manpower Services Commission that the main emphasis of the current programme of Exchequer support for training is on encouraging employers to take additional young people into employment and training. The Training Services Agency has expanded its own direct training provisions below craft level for unemployed young people in current conditions of high unemployment through a number of courses which are designed to assist young unemployed persons of 16 and over to find suitable employment. The agency aims to thus assist up to 7,000 unemployed school leavers and other young people in 1976.