§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment which training and enterprise councils are participating in the open learning credits for unemployed people initiative; what are the objectives of the programme; what will happen to the scheme in 1994–95; and if she would make a statement.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe following TECs are piloting open learning credits during the financial year 1993–94: CENTEC; Coventry and Warwickshire TEC; Devon and Cornwall TEC; consortium of Essex TEC and Hertfordshire TEC; consortium of Greater Nottingham TEC and North Nottinghamshire TEC; Hampshire TEC; Humberside TEC; consortium of Manchester TEC, Stockport and High Peak TEC, and South and East Cheshire TEC; NORM ID TEC; consortium of Northumberland TEC and Wearside TEC; Tyneside TEC; South Glamorgan TEC. In addition, two local enterprise companies in Scotland will be running pilots —Scottish Borders and Lochaber.
The objective of the pilots will be to test our open learning credits as a means of providing additional scope for training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies in Scotland to widen the range of support offered to unemployed people to help themselves back to work by improving their vocational skills and knowledge.
The pilots will be thoroughly evaluated during the current financial year. Decisions about the future will be taken in the light of this evaluation.
The pilots demonstrate the Government's commitment to exploring different ways of helping unemployed people help themselves back to work. The response to the initiative so far from training and enterprise councils, local enterprise companies and the open learning industry has been very positive and open learning credits are already being issued to unemployed people in some of the pilot areas.