Tánaiste confirms scale of measures for redundant apprentices

The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Ms. Mary Coughlan, T.D., has today (Thursday 14 May 2009) confirmed that the 3,067 construction trades apprentices currently standing redundant will be able to progress their training towards qualification through a number of special measures this year, providing a capacity for in excess of 3,600 redundant apprentices.

Confirming the scale of measures, the Tánaiste said: “It is essential that young apprentices are given every opportunity to conclude their training, thereby putting themselves in a prime position to benefit from employment opportunities when the upturn arrives. To achieve this we have ring-fenced funding to ensure that apprentices that have been made redundant can take a further step towards qualification this year.”

The Tánaiste detailed the measures for redundant apprentices as follows:

• The Employer Based Redundant Apprentice Rotation Scheme, which commenced in January 2009, provides for the on-the-job training placement of up to 500 redundant apprentices with employers who have released their own employed apprentices for off-the-job training.
• FÁS and ESB Networks have agreed the placement on a phased basis of 400 redundant electrical apprentices to allow them to complete their on-the-job training and assessments.
• The Institutes of Technology are providing 700 places per annum on an 11-week certified training programme for those redundant apprentices who have completed their Phase 4 training but where an on or off-the-job training opportunity is not currently available for them. The programme is divided into Construction and Engineering streams and provides redundant apprentices with education and training support in a number of relevant trades areas.
• Scheduling rules for off-the-job training have been amended to permit redundant apprentices to progress to their next off-the-job training phases rather than wait until they have secured the intermediate on-the-job phase. This change has already permitted 1,115 apprentices to attend phase 4 and phase 6 training to date in 2009 and will, by the end of 2009, facilitate up to a total of 2,000 redundant apprentices.
• Léargas has provided funding towards the cost of placing redundant Phase 7 apprentices with employers in Germany. Some 20 apprentices are currently in Germany and a further 60 apprentice placements has been approved.

The Tánaiste concluded by saying that she, together with FÁS and the relevant stakeholders, will continue to seek to maximise all available opportunities for redundant apprentices to progress within the apprenticeship system, and that the situation is being monitored on an ongoing basis.

ENDS/ETE2040