lo EZ Boardroom
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IS "a bit sad" that operators moving into the Government's oposed enterprise zones will be exempt from training board quirements, Road Transport Industry Training Board direcr general Eric Tindall said last week.
Speaking in London as the fITB's annual report was leased, Mr Tindall said there 35 much the Board could do to Ip a company setting up busiss. It was a source of personal gret that the Board's services uld be dispensed with escially as any new business ys no levy for its first year. Many new businesses, he d, lacked financial knowhow, d most lack skill in human ations. "What they do have is :apacity to work long hours to ike their business successful, d it is a pity that they might t make use of the professional !p which we can offer.
RTITB chairman Fred Lloyd ded that enterprise zones go ainst the Board's overall licy of not giving greater suprt to special areas. "We don't
that is our job,he said.
Mr Lloyd said also that he is disappointed that the Road ulage Association had written ectly to Employment Minister -nes Prior, complaining about Board's services (CM, June ). RHA is represented on ITB committees, and he felt it Jld have used those channels achieve its aims.
He added that he has been in itact with Mr Prior and with IA national chairman Ken gers who will lead a special egation to discuss the matter h the RTITB council,
The report for the year to irch 31 is a vindication of the ard's activities, according to Lloyd, who said: "We're ler pleased with ourselves.Substantial economies made ing the year led, to a E1 .63m plus, of which E1 .5m has .3n ploughed back into in
creased apprentice training and the young hgv driver scheme as a means of coping with the recession in the months ahead.
It says that driver recruitment is holding up, despite contraction in haulage, but it feels it would be a mistake if the Board's training resources were cut back and the industry left without facilities to cope with an upturn in the economy.
Planning and intelligence divisional manager David Barnett said that although the recruitment season for garage apprentices is not yet over, signs are that there could be a 50 per cent drop in demand for them this year.
Mr Lloyd said: "'There is no doubt that the number of apprentices will be less than for the last three years, and less than is necessary for the longterm good of the industry."
On the subject of the Man
power Services Commission's review of training board activities (CM, August 9), Mr Lloyd said he looked forward to an "interesting discussionon future funding, and Mr Tindall said that it would make its formal response to the MSC sometime in October.
He said it was unfortunate that the suggestion of increased industry funding should have come at a time of recession, but said that, on the whole, the document endorses the pattern of what is happening.