§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what evaluation he has made of the technical and vocational education initiative; and what plans he has for it achievements to be continued.
§ Mr. Paice[holding answer 24 February 1995]: The Department is responsible for the technical and vocational education initiative. We have undertaken three major evaluation studies of the programme: one covering students' experiences, one assessing TVEI's impact on the labour market, and one covering how well TVEI practices have become embedded in schools and colleges. There has also been research into the impact of specific TVEI themes. In addition, each local project is required to undertake its own evaluation. These studies suggest that TVEI has made a significant contribution to improving the preparation of young people for working life.
Staff in Government offices continue to work with local education authorities, training and enterprise councils, schools and colleges to take forward the lessons of TVEI. In the White Paper, "Competitiveness: Helping Business to Win", CM 2563, additional funds were announced to support action to spread best practice identified through TVEI and to ensure that all pupils in their last year of compulsory education can have at least one week's work experience.
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