Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which courses are being retained at Dundonald Training Centre; which courses will cease to exist this year; if the training centre will be required to limit the number of trainees it accepts; and if she will make a statement. [5488]
§ Mr. WorthingtonResponsibility for the subject in question has been delegated to the Training and Employment Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. Ian Walters. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Ian Walters to Mr. John D. Taylor, dated 27 June 1997:
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has asked me, as Chief Executive of the Training and Employment Agency, to reply to your question about the courses being retained, or not retained, at Dundonald Training Centre and the overall limitation on numbers at the Centre.In the training year commencing September 1997, Dundonald Training Centre will offer apprenticeship training in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Fabrication, Light Vehicle Repair, Light Vehicle Body Repair, and Contractors Plant Maintenance.Apprenticeship courses for construction industry trades will not be available to new entrants but the Centre will ensure that trainees in this sector who have completed their training at Dundonald 201W continue to be monitored during their subsequent period of employer based training. The Business Administration class previously offered at the Centre will also cease.Short term courses to meet the needs of employers and, in particular, courses in natural gas fitting will continue to be offered wherever possible.All the Agency's Training Centres limit the number of trainees they accept in line with the resources available. Dundonald Training Centre will be limited to 75 new entrants in its Jobskills programme in 1997/98. There is no limit to the number of trainees who may be admitted to courses which are directly funded by employers.