Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 Feb 2000

Vol. 515 No. 2

Written Answers. - FÁS Apprenticeships.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

Employers are directly responsible for the recruitment of apprentices. The number of apprentices which an employer recruits is, therefore, a matter for the employer to decide, according to the needs of the firm and its capacity to provide on-the-job training to apprentices.

For designated apprenticeship trades, employers must register apprentices with FÁS within two weeks of the apprentice commencing employment.

Prospective apprentices are advised by FÁS to satisfy themselves that employers recognise their responsibility to register their apprentices with FÁS and to provide on-the-job training and assessment.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney)

A total of 5,786 apprentice electricians were registered with FÁS as of 18 February 2000.

The current apprenticeship system is standards-based and is aimed at ensuring that pre-set levels of skill and competence are attained by participants. The standards-based apprenticeship system, which replaced the time-served model in 1993, consists of seven phases of training. Phases 1, 3, 5 and 7 involve on-the-job training with the employer. Phase 2 training is carried out in a FÁS training centre and Phases 4 and 6 are carried out in an educational college.

The number of apprentice electricians in the various phases of training on 18 February 2000 was as follows: Phase 1, 1,824; Phase 2, 713; Phase 3, 1,465; Phase 4, 307; Phase 5, 990; Phase 6, 225; Phase 7, 262; Total, 5,786.