§ 38. Mr. Beaumont-DarkTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has to deal with skill shortages in British industry; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CopeI refer my hon. Friend to the training section of the White Paper "Employment for the 1990s", published last month. Some 100 training and enterprise councils are to be established with this as one of their prime goals. The business growth through training programme also announced in the recent White Paper will help employers to develop strategies for the training and development of their staff in line with business objectives.
The Training Agency plays a strategic role in helping employers to plan and take action to develop occupationally specific skills. It seeks to develop young people and to help to reskill unemployed adults with 177W programmes to meet labour market needs. Both YTS and employment training are delivered in close collaboration with local industry and commerce.