HC Deb 04 June 1984 vol 61 cc113-7W
Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the monthly totals of young people on the young workers scheme, the youth

Table 2
Estimated numbers of young people on the youth opportunities programme (YOP): April 1978 to April 1984
1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85
April 29,300 61,700 78,500 137,500 197,800 217,500 2,100
May 80,000 61,300 81,100 137,100 192,800 182,300 —
June 30,300 59,500 86,300 159,900 219,100 154,400 —
July 30,800 68,500 101,100 171,600 232,400 127,800 —
August 38,000 76,600 114,300 187,400 251,400 100,000 —
September 58,600 89,600 147,700 221,600 299,600 69,100 —
October 71,100 96,700 157,000 221,800 305,500 46,700 —
November 74,900 95,000 160,900 226,100 308,000 32,100 —
December 66,700 78,900 141,900 191,500 276,600 22,300 —
January 75,000 81,900 155,000 205,700 281,200 13,500 —
February 74,200 81,700 159,000 202,600 267,400 8,300 —
March 68,200 76,100 147,300 197,800 250,400 4,100 —

Table 3 Numbers of Young People in Training on the Youth Training Scheme (YTS): April 1983-April 1984
Numbers
1983
April 2,862
May 7,479

opportunities programme, the youth training scheme, unified vocational preparation, training skills programme for action, community industry, the job creation programme, the training opportunities scheme, the community enterprise programme and the community programme, since the inception of each programme or scheme.

Mr. Peter Morrison

I regret that the information requested is not available for the job creation scheme which ended in 1978; unified vocational preparation which ended in March 1984; the training for skills programme for action which was discontinued in 1983 with the advent of the youth training scheme; and the training opportunities scheme. The information available is set out in the tables below.

Table 1 Young Workers Scheme
1982 1983 1984
January 16,000 110,000 105,000
February 33,000 111,000 106,000
March 41,500 110,000 100,000
April 51,000 108,000 92,000
May 61,000 104,000
June 71,000 103,000
July 84,000 94,000
August 98,000 95,000
September 113,000 102,000
October 125,000 107,000
November 137,000 108,000
December 130,000 105,000

Numbers
June 21,325
July 46,392
August 86,503
September 169,478
October 230,482
November 250,183
December 256,533

Numbers
1984
January 260,118
Table 4
Numbers of People in Training on Community Industry Scheme
1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
January 5,056 6,140 5,832 7,000 6,876 6,946
February 5,130 6,197 6,149 7,070 6,951 6,988
March 5,103 6,127 6,256 7,096 6,966 7,059
April 5,212 6,009 6,208 7,054 6,936 7,162
May 5,290 6,150 6,486 7,069 7,124
June 5,440 6,236 6,658 7,039 7,059
July 5,671 6,242 6,844 6,987 6,940
August 5,627 6,176 6,783 6,874 6,827
September 5,774 6,265 7,010 6,918 6,829
October 5,846 6,309 7,101 7,016 7,000
November 6,062 6,281 7,039 7,023 7,077
December 6,252 6,007 7,112 7,005 7,149
Table 5
Community Enterprise Programme/Community Programme
1981 1982 1983 1984
January — 25,000 34,000 112,000
February — 26,500 38,000 112,000
March — 27,500 39,000 113,000
April 13,500 28,500 45,000 113,000
May 14,500 29,500 52,000
June 15,600 30,000 64,000
July 17,000 31,000 73,000
August 18,000 31,000 83,000
September 19,000 31,000 97,000
October 21,000 31,000 106,000
November 23,000 32,000 114,000
December 24,000 32,000 115,000

The figures provided are the total number of people employed on the Programme(s). A breakdown for the 18–24 age group is not possible but it is estimated that 54 per cent. of entrants to the Community Programme have come from this age group.

Figures from April 1981 to September 1982 are for the Community Enterprise Programme.

Figures from October 1982 to March 1984 are for both Programmes and from April 1984 are for the Community Programme only.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many young people were on the youth training scheme at the latest available date in each mode, separating mode B1 into community projects, training workshops, and information technology centres; how many youth training scheme places were available in each case at that date; and if he will express the number of trainees in training as a percentage of the number of places available.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The information requested, as at the end of March 1984, is as follows:

Approved Numbers in Trainees as a
places training percentage of approved places
Mode A 320,923 180,758 56
Mode B1 89,799 53,329 59
of which:
Community projects 64,043 38,283 60
Training workshops 20,594 11,787 57

Numbers
February 259,282
March 251,516
April 242,493

Approved places Numbers in training Trainees as a percentage of approved places
Information technology centres 5,162 3,259 63
Mode B2 31,773 17,429 55
Total 442,495 251,516 57

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment how many 16 and 17-year-olds are eligible for the youth training scheme in the current year; how many are predicted to be eligible in 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87; how many in each year are expected to join the youth training scheme; and what specific measures are to be used to increase take-up to those levels.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The following are the Manpower Services Commission's planning assumptions for the number of 16 and 17-year-olds eligible to join the youth training scheme in the years 1984–85 to 1986–87:

1984–85 1985–86 1986–87
525,000 505,000 490,000

The following are the latest forecasts, on the basis of current eligibility rules, of the numbers of young people who will enter the scheme:

1984–85 1985–86 1986–87
407,000 395,000 385,000

In December 1983 the Government announced changes in the rules of the young workers scheme for 1984–85 with the aim of increasing the number of young people taking part in the youth training scheme. In addition, better marketing of the scheme to young people and further improvements in the quality of training it offers should increase its attractiveness.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what was the reason for the number of places taken up on the youth training scheme in 1983–84 being lower than he had originally envisaged.

Mr. Peter Morrison

It is now clear that we were able to meet the needs of eligible youngsters in the first year of the scheme with significantly fewer places than estimated. It appears that more school leavers than expected found jobs and that more of these jobs than expected were outside the scheme.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is his latest estimate of the number of entrants to, and cost in 1984–85 of, the youth training scheme.

Mr. Peter Morrison

It is currently estimated that there will be around 407,000 entrants to the youth training scheme in 1984–85. The cash limit for the scheme in 1984–85 is £810 million excluding administration.

Mr. Sheerman

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will co-relate the figures on costs of the youth training scheme given in his reply to the hon. Member for Huddersfield on 16 March, Official Report, column 282, with the figures of costs per entrant given in the reply to the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) on 12 April, Official Report, column 366.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The figures given in the reply to the hon. Member for Dunfermline, East (Mr. Brown) are the estimated cost of youth training scheme places occupied for 12 months as from 1 September 1984. The figures given in my reply to the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman) are of the expected costs incurred in running the youth training scheme in 1984–85 and of the number of entrants expected. The two sets of figures cannot be directly compared.

Year Ending 7 March 1980 Year Ending 6 March 1981 Year Ending 5 March 1982 Year Ending 4 March 1983 Year Ending 2 March 1984
Vacancies
Falkirk 3,858 3,714 4,514 4,163 4,466
Grangemouth 1,574 1,238 1,825 1,468 1,572
Bo'ness 1,010 784 627 659 761
Placings
Falkirk 3,164 3,312 3,812 3,862 3,799
Grangemouth 1,325 1,188 1,421 1,290 1,464
Bo'ness 861 714 590 600 707

There is likely to have been a substantial number both of vacancies other than those notified to jobcentres, and of people who found jobs in the area other than through jobcentres. Nationally, it is estimated that about one third of all vacancies are notified to jobcentres and about a quarter of all engagements are made through jobcentres.

Mr. Ewing

asked the Secretary of State for Employment what is the average weekly number of inquiries for jobs at the jobcentres in Falkirk, Grangemouth and Bo'ness.

Mr. Peter Morrison

The information requested is not available. However, statistics for the number of all enquiries at jobcentres on employment and training matters are collected. The average weekly numbers of such enquiries based on the year ending 2 March 1984 are: