§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what action he is taking to protect the 12-month contracts of those employed on the community programme; if these contracts will be honoured at present levels of remuneration; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. NichollsAll participants who joined the community programme before 1 March 1988 are entitled to 12 months on community programme wages and conditions. Those participants who started after 1 March 1988 are entitled to six months on community programme wages and conditions, and this was made clear to them when they entered the programme.
The community programme will be superseded by employment training in September. Participants will be able to complete their six or 12 months on community programme wages and conditions. However, they may choose at any time to become trainees and receive the weighted training allowance for the balance of their time on employment training.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment why supervisors and trainers within the present community programme are to lose their jobs with the introduction of the adult training scheme; and what level of job losses are expected from the introduction of the scheme in September.
§ Mr. NichollsThe Training Commission funds the cost of managers and supervisors separately from other costs on the community programme. Under employment training the commission will pay a single fee to cover all the costs of training, including management and supervisory costs. Training managers will then use these fees as they judge will most efficiently provide appropriate support for trainees on the new programme.
It is expected that very many current community programme managers and supervisors will be offered employment by training managers who will contract with the Training Commission to provide training under employment training. In other cases, managers and supervisors may be offered employment by organisations subcontracting with training managers.