HC Deb 01 November 1995 vol 265 cc368-9W
Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many persons undertaking employment training and training for work schemes left without a qualification in the last five years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [40438]

Mr. Paice

The information requested is given in the table.

Employment training/training for work England and Wales—Percentage of leavers without a full qualification or credit towards one
Per cent.
1990–91 67
1991–92 63
1992–93 59
1993–94 56
April 1994-January 1995 52

Source:

ET and TFW National Follow-Up Surveys.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps she plans to take to promote employment training and training for work within the ethnic minority community; and how she plans to pursue an improvement in qualification pass rates. [40418]

Mr. Paice

Training for work, which replaced employment training in April 1994, is delivered locally by training and enterprise councils. They have contractual obligations to promote equality of opportunities for all their activities. To help them meet these obligations, the Department has recently issued an updated equal opportunities good practice guide.

The Department recognises the importance of qualification and monitors closely the achievement rates of the ethnic minority and non-ethnic minority communities. TFW's main focus, however, is on jobs and we have set each TEC targets that reflect this. TECs are paid substantial premiums for trainees requiring basic literacy and numeracy or for whom English is a second language.

Mr. Hinchliffe

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how she plans to prevent abuse of output-related funding schemes within training for work; and if she will make a statement. [40422]

Mr. Paice

Output-related funding in training for work provides an effective incentive to produce results for participants in the form of jobs and qualifications. Any specific allegations of abuse are investigated. The Department has stringent audit requirements in its contracts with TECs. Measures have been taken to assist awarding bodies to enhance their verification of NVQs within training for work.