§ Mr. BeggsTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether Northern Ireland has been included in the Employer Training Pilots. [171716]
§ Mr. GardinerThere are Employer Training Pilots running in 20 designated areas in England only. These are a HM Treasury initiative and at present there are no indications that they will be extended to Northern Ireland. However, the aims of the Pilots are closely allied to the Department for Employment and Learning's strategic objectives for workforce development. Department officials are therefore monitoring developments on the implementation of the Pilots particularly in regard to their effectiveness and value for money.