European Social Fund (Hansard, 29 February 1984)

§ Mr. Gummer

Most of the aid which the United Kingdom receives from the European social fund is in respect of national training and employment schemes. These cannot be broken down on a regional basis. For example, in 1983 the Manpower Services Commission was allocated some £226 million, over 70 per cent. of the £321 million allocated to the United Kingdom.

The following schemes run by organisations based in south and west Yorkshire were allocated aid from the fund in 1983. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to show the precise location of individual schemes in each of the areas mentioned in the question.

A. E. Turbine Components Ltd. (Yeadon) New technology retraining for employees threatened with redundancy.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

1. Wage subsidy scheme for new jobs for unemployed people.
2. Remedial training for unemployed people to enhance their 224 prospects of employment or futher vocational training.
3. Wage subsidy scheme for both small firms and the long-term unemployed.
4. Vocational training and work experience for mentally handicapped young people.

Benjamin Simon and Sons Ltd. (Leeds) Training and retraining of new and existing employees for new markets and products.

Bradford Cathedral Centre Vocational training for the unemployed and those under threat of redundancy.

Bradford and Ilkley Community College

1. Training of young women in motor vehicle maintenance.
2. Vocational training of women under 25 years in skills in which women are under-represented.
3. Retraining people under threat of redundancy for assured employment.
4. Training of unemployed people, including language training, for assured jobs in public services.
5. Training of women as light-vehicle drivers.

Bradford Metropolitan Council

1. Wage subsidy scheme for both small firms and the long-term unemployed.
2. Recruitment and training of unemployed people for assured jobs.
3. Remedial training, mainly for unemployed people, including life and social skills training and also vocational experience.

Confederation of British Wool Textiles Ltd. (Bradford) Training of textile workers for assured employment and of workers made redundant.

International Harvester Company (Doncaster) Essential skills training for workers threatened with unemployment.

Keighley Technical College New technology training for employees of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council Demonstration project of training for the mentally handicapped.

Leeds City Council

1. Skills training for women under 25 in microelectronics.
2. Basic and advanced training for women over 25 in microelectronics.
3. Demonstration project of training and employment of the mentally handicapped and mentally ill (Leeds Pottery Project).

Leeds Polytechnic Management training for women.

Lucas Aerospace Ltd. (Bradford) Essential training of personnel threatened with redundancy.

Sheffield City Council

1. Basic and advanced training for women over 25 in microelectronics and computing.
2. Engineering apprenticeship training.
3. Vocational training in Information Technology for unemployed people.

South Yorkshire County Council

1. Skills training for young people in electronic and computing work methods.
2. "Start Your Own Business" courses for young people (2 schemes).
3. Skills training for young people in engineering.
4. Skills training for young people in basic engineering.
5. Skills training for young people in engineering and steel industry crafts.
6. Vocational training for young people under 25 in engineering.
7. Vocational training for young people under 18 in equestrian skills.
8. Vocational training for young people in catering.
9. Vocational training for young people in microelectronics.
10. Vocational training and business skills for the long term unemployed.
11. Vocational training for transferable skills for the long term unemployed.

South Yorkshire County Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Innovative technical training in modem Information Technology equipment.

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South Yorkshire County Council and Sheffield City Council Skills training in the steel industry.

Wakefield Metropolitan District Council Vocational training of first-job seekers.

Welfare Maintenance and Supply (Bradford) Demonstration project to train mentally handicapped people in basic skills.

West Yorkshire County Council Skills training for women under 21 years as engineering technicians.

Yorkshire Residential School for the Deaf (Doncaster) Vocational preparation and training for young people with impaired hearing.

Yorkshire Roofing Group Training Association (Morley) Vocational training of unemployed young people in specialist roofing skills.

The total amount allocated to these schemes was over £3.9 million. This represents a substantial contribution to the training needs of people in south and west Yorkshire. Many of the schemes are intended to help young people and the recently revised rules of the fund place additional emphasis on meeting their needs. The Government greatly welcome the help which the social fund is giving to employment and training schemes in south and west Yorkshire and in other parts of the United Kingdom.