§ 34. Mr. Spriggsasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people and others, respectively, have received training by the Engineering Industry Training Board in each group or industry for which specialised training has been provided; and if he will give an assurance that the Board will be encouraged to expand its specialisation training on a long term basis.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that information is not available in the form requested. The Engineering Industry Training Board's approved method of training craftsmen and technicians is by means of an initial period of off-the-job training covering the first year of apprenticeship. This includes induction, broad based training and further education. In the training year which commenced on 1st September 1976 some 25,000 trainees were recruited for this form of training. Following the first year's initial training the Board recommends more specific training by means of modules each covering specific skills. In the training year which ended on 31st August 1976 the number of trainees on craft module training was 14,287 in the second year of their apprenticeship, 9,501 in the third year and 7,157 in the fourth.
The Board's long-term aim is that all apprentices should receive initial off-thejob training and that increasing numbers will take two or more modules of specialised training.