Training and Enterprise Councils (Hansard, 23 February 1999)

§ Mr. Hain

I am pleased to announce that the first annual report on Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) in Wales, covering the 1997–98 financial year, is being published today.

This report represents a significant step forward in explaining the work of TECs, and in making them more accountable to the people of Wales and their elected representatives.

The report notes that an increasing number of young people entered the Modern Apprenticeship Programme in 1997–98—723 more than in the previous year and 18 per cent. more than the target for the year. Youth credit starts, at 17,265, were 15 per cent. above target, although decreasing levels of unemployment resulted in only 9,001 adults starting on the Training for Work programme against a target of 11,456. NVQs per 100 leavers rose from 55 per cent. to 57 per cent. for the youth training programmes and from 38 per cent. to 44 per cent. for the adult training programmes, by comparison with 1996–97. 52 per cent. of the adult trainees found jobs on leaving training as compared with 48 per cent. the year before.

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Support was given to 1,648 new business start ups (an increase of 10 per cent. on 1996–97) and the Sole Traders Initiative, which was launched on an all-Wales basis at the start of the year, resulted in some 293 first employees being taken on by hitherto singleton businesses.

Other significant achievements by the TECs in 1997–98 included: the levering in of some £1 million of private sector funding—and some £2.8 million of European funding for local projects. a good start to the implementation of the Action Plan for Manufacturing Training in Wales significant improvements in the rates of success of disabled young people and young people from ethnic minorities in achieving NVQs. 60,403 school children undertook a work experience placement, against a target of 59,396. 4,214 school teachers and further education college staff undertook an industrial placement, against a target of 3,068. 27,000 adults were provided with careers information under the Adult Guidance Initiative and 7,858 of these were given bespoke counselling.

In addition, the TECs supported a wide variety of projects from their Local Initiative Funds, including homework clubs, revision weeks, Saturday clubs offering contacts with local businesses, outreach work with disaffected young people and technician training to NVQ level 4 for adults in employment.

The report provides a synopsis of all these activities and of the overall financial position of TECs in Wales. Copies will be distributed to all Members with constituencies in Wales and placed in the Library of the House. Further details are to be found in the individual annual reports of each of the TECs which are available from their company offices.

Following the transfer of functions, this matter will be for the National Assembly.