§ Ms. Clare Shortasked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give figures for the employment of young people in the west midlands in 1984 showing (a) numbers of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds leaving full-time education, (b) the numbers expected to enter youth training schemes, (c) the number expected to be employed under the young workers scheme, (d) the number in employment other than those employed under the young workers scheme and (e) the numbers still unemployed.
§ Mr. Alan ClarkThe available information on numbers of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds in the west midlands region entering the youth training scheme over the last year, or covered by the young workers scheme or claiming unemployment benefit in January 1985 is set out in the following table.
Young people aged YTS* YWS† Claimant unemployed‡ 16 46,000 .. 5,000 17 4,000 .. 15,000 18 — .. 21,000 16 to 18 50,000 7,000 41,000 * Entrants between April and December 1984, together with estimates for January to March 1985. The age breakdown is based on age at leaving school. † Estimated number supported in January 1985. An age breakdown is not available, but almost all of those supported will be 17 years old on entry. ‡ Those claiming unemployment benefit on 10 January 1985. Of these, the proportions classified as school-leavers (that is, those who have never had a job, not simply those who left school recently) are 72, 55, 46 and 53 percent, for 16, 17, 18 and 16 to 18-year-olds respectively. .. = Not available. The estimates cannot be directly related to those leaving full-time education in 1984. Estimated numbers of young people in the west midlands leaving full-time education in 1984 or entering employment other than under the young workers scheme are not yet available.