Union warns scheme for redundant apprentices is insufficient

THE country’s biggest craft union has said that plans by the Government to tackle the unemployment crisis for apprentices in the construction industry are welcome, but warned it falls well short of what is needed.

On Monday, Tánaiste and Employment Minister Mary Coughlan announced that Fás was to implement an employer-based Redundant Apprentice Rotation scheme in January.

Employers who have a past record of providing consistent systematic training will be asked to provide redundant apprentices with an opportunity to complete their on-the-job phase in carpentry and joinery, electrical employment, plastering, plumbing and bricklaying.

The Tánaiste said the purpose of the scheme was to give redundant apprentices the opportunity to complete the on-the-job phase of their apprenticeship to gain the required knowledge, skill and competence to progress to the next off-the-job phase or complete their apprenticeship.

However, while the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union gave a guarded welcome to the new initiative, it said much more was needed.

TEEU general secretary Owen Wills, who is also chairman of the national craft apprentices committee, said: “There are approximately 3,000 apprentices currently redundant and the scheme only makes provision for 500.

“The allowance to the new employer should be supplemented by a levy on those who dismissed the apprentices in the first place, so as to make the scheme more attractive to bona fide employers and to maximise the impact of the scheme in helping apprentices complete their training.

“We should have learnt lessons from a similar project in the 1980s when employers let apprentices go in the later stages of their apprenticeship while availing of state support to replace them.

“It will be essential that social partnership arrangements are put in place to monitor the application of the scheme and ensure resources are used solely for their intended of use of assisting apprentices to complete their training.”

Mr Wills said there is already evidence of employers displacing apprentices with new, cheaper apprentices.

“They must be disbarred from any state support under the existing arrangements or those now being introduced by the minister,” he said.