HC Deb 13 January 1995 vol 252 cc234-5W
Mrs. Bridget Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures his Department is taking to encourage the education and training of women for re-entry into the workplace; and what programmes are available to them.

Mr. Paice

Woman who wish to return to work can enter training for work, without having to be registered as unemployed for six months. They can train on a part-time basis and get child care support.

The Department is promoting training and employment opportunities for women through its fair play initiative.

Mrs. Bridget Prentice

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what measures his Department is taking to encourage the education and training of 16 to 25-year-olds for entry into the workplace; and what programmes are available to them.

Mr. Paice

A wide range of measures is currently available to encourage the education and training of 16 to 25-year-olds for entry into the work place. These include the development of new vocational qualifications such as national vocational qualifications and general national vocational qualifications, training programmes such as youth training and training for work, and measures to enhance the vocational relevance of education, such as the enterprise in higher education initiative and the technical and vocational education initiative.

The "Competitiveness" White Paper published in May 1994 sets out additional measures which are being developed. These include modern apprenticeships and accelerated modern apprenticeships, improvements in independent careers advice for young people from the age of 13, the strengthening of education business links, and the creation of the competitiveness fund which is aimed at creating specialist education and training provision in further education colleges in key occupational areas.