Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Since the beginning of last year, there has been a significant contraction in activity in the construction sector. As a result of this contraction, we have witnessed a substantial reduction in the number of people employed in the construction sector in the past 12 months. This has had a severe impact on the individuals who are currently undertaking an apprenticeship. The scale of the downturn in the construction sector is clear when one considers that at the end of last month the apprenticeship population was 22,561. For the same period last year, the apprenticeship population was 28,252, which represents a 20% reduction in a 12 month period. In addition to this decrease, by the end of last month FÁS has been notified of 3,695 apprentices who have been made redundant.

The high level of redundant apprentices is of particular concern given the structure of the Irish apprenticeship system. Our apprenticeship system is a demand-driven educational and training programme for employed people aimed at developing the skills of the apprentice to meet the needs of industry and the labour market. It consists of seven phases divided into four on-the-job and three off-the-job phases. An apprentice is required to be employed so that they can complete the necessary on-the-job training. The on-the-job training is designed to enable the apprentice to develop the skill, knowledge and competence to reach the required level of mastery in their trade. This implies that apprentices who have been made redundant are, therefore, not in a position to complete their apprenticeship.

The Government is fully aware of the difficult situation in which these redundant apprentices find themselves. For that reason, the Government is committed to assisting redundant apprentices gain employment as soon as possible in Ireland or abroad in order that these individuals may complete their apprenticeships. The Tánaiste, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department of Education and Science have been working closely with FÁS, the institutes of technology, the Higher Education Authority and the social partners on introducing measures in an effort to address the problems now confronting redundant apprentices.

The measures that have been introduced to date will help in alleviating the current situation and comprise the following. The Department of Social and Family Affairs immediately refers redundant apprentices to FÁS for assistance. Following this immediate referral, the FÁS employment services and FÁS services to business divisions work in collaboration to assist the apprentice source a new approved employer to allow them to complete their apprenticeship as soon as possible. To date, FÁS has succeeded in securing alternative employment for 1,081 apprentices who have been made redundant, but in excess of 3,600 apprentices remain redundant. In addition, in the absence of options for workplace experience, FÁS has put in place an interim measure whereby apprentices who are made redundant can progress to the next off-the-job training phase in the education sector. This means they do not need to do their on-the-job phase and can go directly to the next off-the-job phase, in line with the current scheduling criteria.

At the end of last year, under this interim measure a total of 439 redundant apprentices were attending an off-the-job phase two, four and six and a further 505 redundant apprentices were scheduled to attend one of these phases in the coming months. FÁS is also looking at the advantages that EU-sponsored programmes that facilitate mobility for workers and apprentices can offer. In October last year, for example, FÁS was successful in responding to a national call for mobility projects under the Leonardo da Vinci programme, which is the EU's vocational educational training programme. As a result, approximately 25 redundant apprentices will complete a period of on-the-job training in suitable European companies, thereby facilitating the completion of their apprenticeships.

In addition to these measures, at the end of last year the Tánaiste announced the launch of a new FÁS initiative aimed at providing the necessary on-the-job experience to redundant apprentices. This initiative is called the employer-based redundant apprentice rotation scheme. The purpose of the scheme is to give up to 500 redundant apprentices the opportunity to complete the on-the-job phase of their apprenticeship in order to gain the required knowledge, skill and competence to successfully progress to the next off-the-job phase or to complete their apprenticeship. Employers who have a past record of providing consistent systematic training are being asked to provide redundant apprentices with an opportunity to complete their on-the-job phase in the following five trades: carpentry and joinery, electrical, plastering, plumbing and bricklaying.

The scheme works on the basis that FÁS will place redundant apprentices with an eligible employer, to replace any existing apprentices that have been released to attend scheduled off-the-job phases of their apprenticeship. The employer will provide the necessary workplace training and assessment to the redundant apprentice. The scheme will support redundant apprentices' on-the-job training related to phases three, five and seven.

Employers participating in the scheme are required to pay the apprentice the agreed industry rates for the specific apprenticeship trade and FÁS will make a contribution of €340 per week towards employment costs incurred based on a 39-hour working week.

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