§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to improve the provision by employers of national vocational qualifications; and if she will make a statement. [8788]
§ Mr. PaiceDecisions on the usage of national vocational qualifications are a matter for individuals and employers. The Government are, however, providing funds for the marketing of these qualifications. In the 1994 competitiveness White Paper, the Government announced a package of £31 million over three years to help ensure NVQs are fully up to date, rigorous and of high quality; and provide funds for their attainment in training programmes for young people and unemployed adults.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will publish for the last available two years for each of the constituent nations and standard regions of the United Kingdom and for the United Kingdom as a whole the total number of employers using national vocational qualifications to train their work force, indicating this figure as a percentage of the total number of employers in each case. [8919]
§ Mr. PaiceEstimates from the "Skill Needs in Britain" surveys show that the percentage of establishments with 25 or more employees in Great Britain offering national vocational qualifications or Scottish vocational qualifications to their employees increased from 31 per cent.—approximately 46,000—in 1994 to 40 per cent.—approximately 61,000—in 1995. The "Skill Needs of Small Firms 1994–95" survey estimated that approximately 144,000 establishments, or 13 per cent., with fewer than 25 employees offered NVQs or SVQs to their employees.
The requested data are not available for Northern Ireland or the United Kingdom or for standard regions but data for Great Britain, Wales, Scotland, England and training, enterprise and education directorate—TEED—regions are given in the following two tables:
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Table 1: Establishments offering NVQs to their employees 1994 1995 Number Percentage Number Percentage Great Britain 46,000 31 61,000 40 Wales 2,500 35 3,500 49 Scotland 3,500 26 4,000 29 England 40,000 31 54,000 41
Table 1: Establishments offering NVQs to their employees 1994 1995 Number Percentage Number Percentage TEED Regions London 5,000 21 7,000 31 South-East 6,000 31 8,000 41 South-West 4,500 37 6,000 48 Eastern 2,500 18 4,000 32 East Midlands 3,000 27 4,500 41 West Midlands 6,000 40 7,000 46 North-West (Manchester) 3,000 38 3,500 43 North-West 3,500 35 5,000 52 Yorkshire and Humberside 5,000 38 6,000 45 Northern 2,000 34 3,000 45 Notes:
Base: Establishments with 25 or more employees.
Estimated numbers of establishments have been individually rounded to the neatest 500 or 1,000 as appropriate depending on sample size.
Source:
Skill Needs in Britain 1994 and 1995.
Table 2: Small establishments offering NVQs to their employees 1994–95 Number Percentage Great Britain 144,000 13 Wales 9,000 16 Scotland 8,000 8 England 128,000 13 TEED Regions London 10,000 5 South-East 29,000 18 South-West 14,000 14 Eastern 11,000 10 East Midlands 9,000 13 West Midlands 13,000 13 North-West (Greater Manchester) 15,000 24 North-West 8,000 11 Yorks and Humberside 14,000 14 Northern 5,000 13 Notes:
Base: Establishments with less than 25 employees.
Estimated numbers are rounded to the nearest 1,000. Figures for Greater Manchester region should be treated with greater caution than those for other regions because they are based on only 95 interviews.
Source:
Skill Needs of Small Firms in Britain 1994–95.