§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the University for Industry will offer(a) courses and (b) places for trade union members. [60085]
§ Mr. MudieThe University for Industry will be launched nationally in the year 2000. It will not be a direct learning provider but will rather act as a broker of learning opportunities. The full details of the range of provision with which it will connect learners are being developed, but initial priorities will include: information and communication technology; basic skills, management skills; and the specific industrial sectors of automotive components, the multimedia, environmental technology and the distributive and retail trades.
The University for Industry's activities will be directed at the widest possible range of individuals and organisations. Trade Unions should benefit from the greater and more flexible access to learning available for their members and will have a very important role to play in the University for Industry's success. A number of discussions have already been held between the TUC, officials of the University for Industry Division of the DfEE and the member of the Ufl transition team to explore how this might be taken forward.