§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans the Government have to provide training for people aged over 25 years in skills necessary to gain employment, including interview skills, literacy and numeracy.
Mr. JacksonThe Government aim to offer to all adults under 50 who have been unemployed for more than two years, and to all unemployed people with disabilities, a place on employment training (ET), enterprise allowance, the job interview guarantee or in a job-club. Many people who need the help described will be included in this group. Other people who need help with literacy/numeracy are eligible to enter ET without being unemployed for 26 weeks.
Job preparation courses are offered as part of the job interview guarantee initiative and are designed to give long-term unemployed people the knowledge and confidence to succeed at a guaranteed interview for vacancies offered at the end of the course.
The Government have recently announced sponsorship of £3 million over the next three years for a new initiative called "Basic Skills at Work" intended to enhance the quantity and quality of literacy/numeracy training.
§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) how many people of employment age are on literacy and numeracy training courses; and if he will give these figures for each English county;
(2) what money is available for each English county For people with special training needs in literacy, numeracy and social skills; and what the figures were for 1990.