asked the Minister for Labour the criteria applied by AnCO and Manpower when placing unemployed people, trainees or students in private companies under the various employment subsidy schemes.
Written Answers. - Employment Subsidy Schemes.
384.
The National Manpower Service is concentrating on helping unemployed persons, those on the live register and firsttime job seekers, to find employment, training on work experience. Where recruitment is done through the National Manpower Service, suitable unemployed persons are given priority in submissions for vacancies. The decision regarding final selection rests with the employer.
The only direct employment subsidy scheme in operation in which the Manpower Service is involved is the employment incentive scheme. The conditions of the scheme provide that—
(i) for a weekly premium of £25, the employee must be under 25 years, have been unemployed and registered with the National Manpower Service prior to recruitment.
(ii) for a weekly premium of £30, the employee must be between the age of 20 and 25 years and have been on the live register for the four weeks immediately preceding recruitment.
(iii) for a weekly premium of £45, the employee must be over 25 years of age and have been on the live register for the 26 weeks immediately preceding recruitment.
The live register and registration with the NMS conditions do not apply in the case of persons attending AnCO, CERT, ACOT or other approved training courses or in the case of disabled persons.
The National Manpower Service also administers the work experience programme which provides for the placement of young people under 25 years of age with employers for a maximum period of six months to gain work experience which will enhance their prospects of obtaining employment. A weekly allowance of £30 is paid. The NMS give priority to persons more than six months unemployed when placing persons on this programme but final acceptance rests with the employer.
AnCO is a training agency and, as such, does not administer employment subsidy schemes. However, spare capacity and experience assignment training in firms forms part of AnCO's training schemes for the unemployed. The criteria applied in selecting organisations to provide spare capacity or experience assignment training are the availability of training expertise, commitment to training unemployed persons, the need for a particular type of skill and the results of previous courses, if appropriate. At present, priority for AnCO training places is given to persons who have been unemployed for six months.