§ 51. Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for Employment how many 16-year-old school leavers in Cambridgeshire, in each of his last two years (a) found employment, (b) availed themselves of the youth opportunities programme and (c) went on to the unemployment register.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonStatistics of school leavers entering employment in Cambridgeshire are not available, as records are not kept in this form.
Between 1 April 1979 and 31 March 1980 the total number of entrants to the Youth Opportunities Programme in Cambridgeshire was 1,020, and between April 1980 and March 1981 the figure was 1,790. School leavers are not identified separately as part of these totals. In the Ipswich area of the special programmes division of the Manpower Services Commission—covering Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk—there were 1,340 school-leaver entrants to the Youth Opportunities Programme in the period April 1979 to March 1980, and 7,730 in the period April 1980 to March 1981–16-year-old school leavers are not identified separately in these totals.
It is not possible to provide statistics showing 16-year-old school leavers in Cambridgeshire who went on to the unemployment register in a given period. However, the figures for school leavers—including, but not confined to, 16-year-olds—registered as unemployed at careers offices, jobcentres and employment offices in Cambridgeshire for each month in the period April 1979 to March 1981 are set out below:
Month 1979 1980 1981 January — 131 505 February — 122 450 March — 114 n.a. April 121 305 — May 260 260 — June 913 1,247 — July 1,287 1,857 — August 979 1,636 — September 538 1,134 — October 277 730 — November 181 545 — December 132 497 —