§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the enhanced range of labour market help to those affected by the closures referred to by the Minister for Industry in his statement on 12 May 1993,Official Report, columns 801–809, as being provided by the Tyneside training and enterprise council and local employment service following the receivership of Swan Hunter Shipbuilders.
458WScotland is available only on a comparable basis up to 1992–93.
§ Mr. PaiceTyneside training and enterprise council and the local employment service provided a range of additional job search assistance and training opportunities following the receivership of Swan Hunter Shipbuilders. This included
advice and guidance on retraining, further and higher education, self-employment and resettlement assistance, leading to appropriate employment opportunities;a training hotline between jobcentres and the TEC, a dedicated job shop and canvassing or employers;a drive in respect of apprentices to secure the opportunity to finish their training programmes with a new employer, or exceptionally wholly within a TEC supported training centre;immediate access to training courses, with particular emphasis on adapting and developing existing skills to suit alternative employment opportunities;a partnership with North Tyneside city challenge to provide extra support for any "high cost" skills training for North Tyneside city challenge area residents;459Wthe offer of training vouchers to each individual to help them secure jobs with new employers. Employers can then use the vouchers to implement customised training for these new recruits;business skills training for those preparing for entry into self-employment.
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list the measures taken by his Department in the northern region in response to redundancies and closures in the shipbuilding, ship repair, offshore technology, heavy engineering, mining, utility and construction industries.
§ Miss WiddecombeA range of measures has been introduced in response to redundancies and closures in north-east traditional industries. These have focused on helping those affected to find jobs and access training, further and higher education opportunities and, in appropriate cases, enter self-employment.
Tyneside training and enterprise council and the Employment Service have worked closely with local authorities, Tyne and Wear development corporation, further and higher education institutions and local employers in developing and implementing the measures.
The measures cover:
advice and guidance about employment opportunities, training opportunities and further and higher education opportunities;efforts by ES to build up job banks and find vacancies for redundant workers;provision of additional training opportunities: additional funds have been allocated to Swan Hunter and coal closures;further and higher education institutions have responded readily to requests for information from redundant workers.Tyne and Wear development corporation and local city challenge companies have also been involved in the creation of new opportunities for redundant workers. In the wider context of the Government office for the north-east, the Employment Department works closely with the Department of the Environment and the Department of Trade and Industry in ensuring that the needs of redundant work people are taken into account.
In addition to the above specific measures, efforts have been made to ensure that people affected by redundancies have ready access to the existing range of TEC and ES services. In particular, arrangements have been made to ensure the speedy processing of claims for unemployment benefit and advice on benefit entitlements and the normal eligibility conditions for access to training for work have been waived for redundant employees.
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what special initiatives he has undertaken to respond to high levels of male unemployment in Newcastle, East and Wallsend following the closure of Swan Hunter and further redundancies at NEI Parsons.
§ Miss WiddecombeFollowing the receivership of Swan Hunter, Tyneside training and enterprise council and the local employment service have provided a range460W of additional job search assistance and training opportunities:
advice and guidance on retraining, further and higher education, self-employment and resettlement assistance leading to appropriate employment opportunities;a training hotline between jobcentres and the TEC, a dedicated job shop and canvassing of employers;a drive in respect of apprenticeships to secure the opportunity to finish their training programmes with a new employer, or exceptionally wholly within a TEC supported training centre;immediate access to training courses, with particular emphasis on adapting and developing existing skills to suit alternative employment opportunities;a partnership with North Tyneside city challenge to provide extra support for any "high cost" skills training for North Tyneside city challenge area residents;the offer of training vouchers to each individual to help them secure jobs with new employers. Employers can then use these vouchers to implement customised training for these new recruits;business skills training for those preparing for entry into self-employment.Following the announcement of the redundancies at NEI Parsons, Tyneside TEC and the local ES have given those people affected immediate eligibility to their range of job search assistance and training opportunities.