Functions of boards

5 Functions of boards.

(1)

For the purpose of encouraging adequate training of persons employed or intending to be employed in the industry, an industrial training board—

(a)

may provide or secure the provision of such courses and other facilities (which may include residential accommodation) for the training of those persons as the board considers adequate, having regard to any courses or facilities otherwise available to those persons;

(b)

may approve such courses and facilities provided by other persons;

(c)

may from time to time consider such employments in the industry as appear to require consideration and publish recommendations with regard to the nature and length of the training for any such employment and the F1post-school education to be associated with the training, the persons by and to whom the training ought to be given, the standards to be attained as a result of the training and the methods of ascertaining whether those standards have been attained;

(d)

may apply or make arrangements for the application of selection tests and of tests or other methods for ascertaining the attainment of any standards recommended by the board and may award certificates of the attainment of those standards;

(e)

may assist persons in finding facilities for being trained for employment in the industry;

(f)

may carry on or assist other persons in carrying on research into any matter relating to training for employment in the industry;

(g)

may provide advice about training connected with the industry.

(2)

An industrial training board may enter into contracts of service or apprenticeship with persons who intend to be employed in the industry and to attend courses or avail themselves of other facilities provided or approved by the board.

(3)

An industrial training board may—

(a)

at the request of another industrial training board provide advice for the other board and courses and other facilities for the training of persons employed or intending to be employed in the industry for which that other board is established;

(b)

at the request of the F2Secretary of State provide such other advice, and such other courses and facilities for training, as are mentioned in the request;

(c)

at the request of an employer in the industry provide for him advice about training connected with activities carried on in Northern Ireland or outside the United Kingdom, which, if they were carried on in Great Britain, would be included in the industry;

(d)

enter into agreements with persons for the making by them of payments to the board in respect of the exercise by the board of any of its functions;

(e)

take part in any arrangements made in pursuance of F3section 2 . . . F4. . .of the M1Employment and Training Act 1973 F5or of section 2(3) of the Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990F6and may provide services or arrange for the provision of services in pursuance of arrangements made, or a direction given, under section 10 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 (careers services);

but any expense incurred by the board in pursuance of paragraph (c) above shall not be defrayed out of sums received by way of levy.

(4)

An industrial training board may—

(a)

pay maintenance and travelling allowances to persons attending courses provided or approved by the board;

(b)

make grants or loans to persons providing courses or other facilities approved by the board, to persons who make studies for the purpose of providing such courses or facilities and to persons who maintain arrangements to provide such courses or facilities which are not for the time being in use;

(c)

pay fees to persons providing F1post-school education in respect of persons who receive it in association with their training in courses provided or approved by the board;

(d)

make payments to persons in connection with arrangements under which they or employees of theirs make use of courses or other facilities provided or approved by the board.

(5)

An industrial training board—

(a)

shall from time to time submit to the F7Secretary of State for his approval proposals for the exercise of functions conferred on the board by this section; and

(b)

may from time to time submit to the F7Secretary of State for his approval proposals for the delegation of all or any of those functions to committees established under section 2 above;

and the board shall exercise its functions under this section in accordance with proposals submitted to the F8Secretary of State and approved by him.

(6)

An industrial training board shall give to the F2Secretary of State such information or facilities for obtaining information with regard to the exercise of its functions, in such manner and at such times as the F2Secretary of State may reasonably require.

X1F9(7)

The functions conferred by this section which are exercisable outside Great Britain are those which are exercisable under provisions of it which are applied by section 10(1A) below in connection with the training of persons outside Great Britain under that section.

F10(8)

In this section “ post-school education ” means—

(a)

in England and Wales, “ higher education ” as defined by section 120(1) of the Education Reform Act 1988 or “ further education ” as defined by section 2(3) to (5) of the Education Act 1996; and

(b)

in Scotland, “ further education ” within the meaning of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.