HC Deb 19 October 1976 vol 917 cc410-1W
25. Mr. Kenneth Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people entered apprenticeships in engineering in the years 1973, 1974, 1975 and to date in 1976.

Mr. Golding

I am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that in-information is not available about all engineering apprentice recruitment. However, I understand that the number of craft and technician trainees registered in each of the last three training years with the Engineering Industry Training Board, as carrying out the boards' approved first year off the job pattern of training, was as follows:

1st September 1973 to 31st August 1974 16,920
1st September 1974 to 31st August 1975 23,196
1st September 1975 to 31st August 1976 24,149
(including 3,143 recruited by the Engineering ITB under its training award scheme)

The present indications are that employers in the industry will recruit and register some 22,500 apprentices in 1976–77, including 1,500 who are likely to be recruited in response to a premium grant made available under the Government's special measures programmes. The Engineering ITB will make good any resulting shortfall in the industry's estimated forward needs by recruiting up to 3,500 young people for training, under the board's sponsorship through a training award scheme.