§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what have been the number of approved and filled action for community employment projects in each year
District councils Other public bodies Voluntary bodies Private sector Totals March 1986 Approved 70 104 1,044 4 1,222 Filled 61 91 971 4 1,127 March 1987 Approved 48 54 540 1 643 Filled 48 52 540 1 641 March 1988 Approved 15 4 359 — 378 Filled 15 4 359 — 378 March 1989 Approved 16 4 345 — 365 Filled 16 4 345 — 365 March 1990 Approved 16 3 315 — 334 Filled 16 3 315 — 334
§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which of the flexibilities recently introduced to apply to youth training in Great Britain will be extended to the youth training programme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe new flexibilities which are being introduced into youth training in Great Britain and which will be applied to the youth training programme (YTP) in Northern Ireland are:
- a. an emphasis on outputs rather than training processes;
- b. flexible design of individual schemes to achieve outputs;
- c. all YTP entrants will have the opportunity to train for a national vocational qualification and the targets for level 2 and above are being increased over the next three years;
- d. improved assessment and endorsement procedures for special training needs;
- e. enhanced training opportunities to help unemployed trainees nearing the end of training to secure jobs;
- f. extension of the guarantee to include certain groups whose entry into training has been unavoidably delayed.
§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has on the destinations of people leaving action for community employment and the job training programme; how many leavers got jobs, became unemployed or went on to further training, and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamA recent survey showed that three months after leaving the action for community employment programme, 32.1 per cent. of participants had obtained jobs, 58.8 per cent. were unemployed and 0.2 per cent. were receiving further training. The most recent survey information available for the job training programme (JTP) reveals that between May and July 1989 a total of 52 per cent. of participants leaving JTP did not return to the unemployment register, with the destination of 48 per cent. not determined. For the period August to October 1989, a total of 47 per cent. of participants leaving JTP did not return to the unemployment register, with the destination of 53 per cent. not determined.
§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what are the eligibility conditions that a person has
556Wsince 1986, and how they have been distributed between (a) district councils; (b) other public bodies; (c) voluntary bodies and (d) the private sector.
§ Mr. NeedhamDetails of approved and filled ACE projects 1986–1990 are as follows:
to satisfy if they are to take up a job or training place on (a) action for community employment, (b) job training programme, (c) youth training programme and (d) enterprise allowance scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe eligibility conditions that a person has to satisfy if they are to take up a job or training are as follows:—
(a) Action For Community Employment
Applicants must meet three conditions:—
- (1) be at least 18 and under 64 years of age;
- (2) have been unemployed without a break for at least three months immediately before starting on ACE protect;
- (3) have been unemployed for at least 12 months out of the last 15 months.
There are exceptions to condition (3) in the case of disabled people, young people who have recently been on the youth training programme and adults who have recently been on the job training programme.
Unemployed 18 to 24-year-olds who are in receipt of unemployment benefit or income support need be unemployed for only six months in order to qualify.
(b) Job Training Programme
Adults between the ages of 18 and 60 who have been continuously registered as unemployed or who have been in receipt of invalidity benefit, sickness benefit or severe disablement allowance for at least six months are eligible for the Programme. Periods spent in prison on a custodial sentence or on remand may be counted in satisfying the six month qualification period. Certain other groups who have not been registered as unemployed are also eligible. These special groups include disabled people, ex-service personnel and lone parents whose youngest dependant child is in statutory full-time education and who have been in receipt of income support on an order book for at least 26 weeks.
(c) Youth Training Programme
Young people, whether employed or unemployed are eligible to join YTP at any time between the date on which they are first entitled to leave full-time education and their 557W 18th birthday. Young people with disabilities are eligible to join the programme at any time between their minimum school leaving date and their 22nd birthday.
(d) Enterprise Allowance Scheme.
Applicants must meet eight conditions:—
- (1) they must be receiving unemployment benefit or income support in lieu of unemployment benefit (either personally or through their spouse) on the date of their completed application;
- (2) they must have been unemployed and actively seeking work for at least eight weeks prior to the receipt of their application. (Time spent under formal notice of redundancy, or Department of Economic Development training-rehabilitation schemes or in part-time employment for up to eight hours per week will count towards this eight-week period);
- (3) they must be aged 18 (or over) but under state pension age;
- (4) they must be able to show that they have at least £1,000 available to invest in the business during the first 12 months. (This can be in the form of personal savings, loan or overdraft);
- (5) they must agree to work full-time (at least 36 hours per week) in the business;
- (6) their proposed business must be approved by the Department of Economic Development;
- (7) they must not have participated in the enterprise allowance scheme within the 12 months prior to any second application;
- (8) they must have participated in approved enterprise training prior to making their application.
§ Ms. ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has on the destination of youth training programme leavers for each year since 1986–87; and of those who found employment, how many were with the employer who provided their training.
§ Mr. NeedhamThe information is as follows:
YTP leavers whose destination is known To employment Percentage of total 1986–87 10,271 5,686 55 1987–88 10,509 5,787 55 1988–89 10,232 6,428 63 1989–90 10,914 6,767 62 No figures are available for YTP leavers who found employment with the employer who provided their training.
Full time education Percentage of total Unemployed Percentage of total 1986–87 430 4 4,155 41 1987–88 503 5 4,129 40 1988–89 460 5 3,334 33 1989–90 649 6 3,498 32 No figures are available for YTP leavers who found employment with the employer who provided their training.