§ Mr. OppenheimTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement about the arrangements for approving training providers under new youth training and employment training.
§ Mr. HowardIn April 1986, three years after its introduction, the youth training scheme was extended into a two-year programme. At the same time all YTS training providers were required to achieve approved training organisation status. The purpose of the approval process was to ensure that all providers developed and maintained training of the highest possible quality. By October 1988 all providers delivering YTS met the required standards. These arrangements have been carried forward into new youth training which I launched on 28 June.
Drawing on the YTS experience a similar stringent approval process was introduced into employment training from its outset in September 1988. In April 1990 the approvals process was streamlined so that seven common criteria now apply to both employment training and new youth training. These are:
Stage1:
- 1. Recruitment, selection and competence of staff;
- 2. Equal opportunities;
- 3. Health, safety and suitability of premises and equipment;
- 4. Financial viability.
Stage 2:
- 5. Identification of training needs;
- 6. Training designed and delivered to national standards;
- 7. Effective quality management.
Good progress has been made in extending approval to employment training providers. At 13 June 90 per cent. had achieved stage 1 approval. The stage 2 approval process is still under way and I expect it to be completed not later than April 1991.
During this period, training and enterprise councils will progressively take over the responsibility for contracting with training providers and for completing the approval 758W process. They will be required to ensure that providers achieve and maintain the standards necessary for approval under each of the seven criteria or to set and enforce equally or more exacting quality standards to be agreed with my Department.