§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he is satisfied that sufficient attention is being paid to the actual manufacturing skills necessary in the Government's microelectronics support programmes as distinct from the application and operation programming skills, which he is fostering.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it recognises that Government investment in new manufacturing capacity for microelectronic devices will create a small but important demand for new people with appropriate skills especially at professional engineer and technician level. Universities and polytechnics are preparing to meet this challenge with the help of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Science. The commission, through the engineering industry training board and the training opportunities scheme, is supporting programmes of industrial training for new technicians and professional engineers.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will take speedy action to increase the number and improve the training of computer hardware engineers, specifically in digital electronic design and related areas on the manufacturing as distinct from the 782W operating side of microelectronic and computer technology.
§ Mr. GoldingI am informed by the Manpower Services Commission that it recognises that the manufacture of microelectronic devices, and of new products incorporating such devices, may require special arrangements to train computer hardware engineers. The conversion of design engineers to digital electronics is being assisted by the financial support available to course developers under the microprocessor adaptation project scheme operated by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Industry. The Manpower Services Commission is helping to avoid future shortages of design engineers, to assist work in electronics either directly or by conversion training, by supporting the training of professional engineers through grants paid to employers by the engineering industry training board, and through new schemes to encourage girls to train as engineers. Arrangements have been made for the systematic review of new training needs of this kind by the commission and the ITBs.