§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) received into the length of time which individuals on average practise a particular trade or occupation after receiving Government subsidised training in it. [93560]
§ Mr. Nicholas Brown[holding answer 27 January 2003]The objective of our policies is to help jobless people, particularly the most disadvantaged, move into and remain in employment. Initiatives such as the New Deals and Work Based Learning for Adults are helping to achieve this. Some of those helped into work by government programmes may change their jobs or occupations at a later date. However, the skills and confidence they have gained through participation in our programmes will stand them in good stead in the current dynamic labour market. Success, therefore, should be measured by the improvement in the level of employment. This has increased by 1.3 million since 1997 and now stands at 27.8 million.
There has been no specific research into the length of time individuals stay in a particular occupation after receiving Government subsidised training. However, we have commissioned a study into Work Based Learning for Adults that will examine the impact of a subsidised training programme on client outcomes.