§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment how much will be allocated from the European social fund towards the costs of the employment training scheme for unemployed adults due to start in September.
§ Mr. CopeMy Department has not yet received formal notification of the European Commission's decision on United Kingdom social fund applications for 1988. We understand, however, that the Commission intends to allocate around £9¾1 million towards the cost of this programme for unemployed people aged over 25 years and £14½ million for those under 25.
§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what would be the effect on the benefit entitlement to participants on employment training of paying £5 per week top-up and a further £5 for work done outside the programme.
§ Mr. CopeParticipants in employment training who are on income support when training starts will continue to receive an element of that benefit while they train. Additional income received will be treated in the normal way. Any voluntary top-up to the premium made at regular intervals will attract a £5 per week disregard. In addition, the appropriate weekly disregard (usually £5, but £15 in some circumstances) will be applied to any earnings received from work outside the programme.
§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will give the number of places on training programmes, by skill and the shortfall in trained workers, by skill.
§ Mr. NichollsThe information is not fully available in the form requested. However, the tables provide the breakdown by occupation/skill of places on the two main training programmes run by the Training Commission. There is no comprehensive information on the shortfall of trained workers by skill. However in the main employers who report skill shortages usually face difficulties in recruiting people with the desired mix of skills and experience.
The main skill shortages reported by the latest CBI/MSC special survey of skill shortages in November 1987 were: 662W
- professional engineers (especially) electrical, electronic and production engineers);
- experienced managers;
- computer specialists; and
- certain engineering craft occupations such as machinists, welders and mechanics.
Other sources of information report skill shortages in: construction—particularly builders, carpenters, plasterers teachers and nurses.
Latest results (April 1988) from the CBI's quarterly industrial trends survey indicate that 19% of respondents in manufacturing industry expected skill shortages to limit output over the coming four months. These levels of shortages in the quarterly survey remain less serious than in the 1960s and 1970s.
1 Weighted proportion.
Number in-training on YTS at end March 1988 by Training Occupational Classification Number Engineering 113,900 Administrative and Clerical 72,400 Selling and Storage 44,900 Health, Community and Personal Services 43,300 Motor Vehicle repair and maintenance 29,100 Agriculture and related industies 18,500 Catering and Food Preparation and Processing 16,800 Clothing and Textiles 10,900 Other 38,400
Number of starts to the Old Job Training Scheme in 1987–88 by skill Number Management and management services 1,900 Computer skills 6,800 Administrative and clerical 10,000 Engineering 13,900 Construction 8,500 Making and processing 1,300 Automotive 1,400 Other 5,600 1 Engineering includes engineering fabrication, engineering science and technology. NB. All figures are rounded to the nearest 100.