Changes to apprenticeships ‘could pave way for jobs’

Apprenticeships could be set up for entry to a range of additional jobs if the proposals of a major review group are adopted.

The review, carried out for Education Minister Ruairi Quinn, also says employers would have to pay apprentices in new work areas during off-the-job training, in a variation from the current system.

The independent group, led by Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy, was asked last year to assess the apprenticeship system and make proposals to improve and widen it, with emphasis on the decline in employment and trainee numbers in construction-related sectors.

The review recommends employer-led groups identify occupations suitable for apprenticeship training and propose them for funding to an apprenticeship council. The council should be set up under Solas, the further education and training body, with ring-fenced funding to develop and operate apprenticeships in new areas of employment.

The group also proposes an urgent review of the curriculum for trades currently offering training through the scheme, including an examination of entry requirements and the possibility of trainees having shared courses on common areas. In new and existing apprenticeships, labour market needs should determine minimum and upper numbers to be recruited.

While employers of apprentices in new areas might be liable for entire costs — unlike those in existing schemes who are paid an allowance during off-job training at institutes of technology — tax relief or other incentives are suggested for employers taking on people with disabilities, low-skilled trainees, or long-term unemployed.

The report follows submissions from 69 organisations and employers, and recommends more options to progress to further training in areas like the green economy, heritage protection, retro-fitting, languages and sustainable energy.

Mr Quinn said he broadly accepts the recommendations and stressed the need for change from a focus on areas predominantly associated with jobs for men.

The Government was criticised in the Dáil yesterday for the introduction of pro-rata student fees for apprentices during time in training at institutes of technology. Sinn Féin education spokesman Jonathan O’Brien said it will range from €833 to €1,433 but provide no access to medical or other services available to full-time students.