asked the Minister for Labour if he is aware that pupils from rural areas find it almost impossible to gain admission to AnCO training schools; and if he will state his plans to improve the present position.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - AnCO Training.
15.
AnCO's present establishment of seven permanent and five mobile training centres are primarily intended for the training and retraining of adult workers. They also cater for a limited number of school leavers intending to enter into apprenticeship. Currently applications from school leavers from both rural and other areas far exceed the number of places available.
There are plans for a major expansion of training programmes over the next five years. They envisage a trebling of direct training capacity by 1978 to enable 10,000 people per year to be catered for. This expansion includes provision for young persons. Special attention is being given to the feasibility of using existing facilities in the vocational schools and regional technical colleges to provide additional training for young persons.
Trainees who live a distance from a training centre are paid travelling expenses and lodging allowances in addition to the training allowances.
Would the Minister agree that one of the conditions necessary for getting into the AnCO training schools is that the person must be serving an apprenticeship and, in rural areas where you have not that kind of employment, it is very hard for young people attending vocational schools to be admitted to the AnCO training schools?
The Deputy has a legitimate grievance. Industry is less plentiful in rural areas and therefore the number of young people in apprenticeship must obviously be less than it is in industrialised urban areas. There are fundamental, far-reaching changes in all phases of apprenticeship published in a recent document sent out by AnCO. The matter is between the unions and the employers at present.
16.
asked the Minister for Labour if any young people being trained by AnCO have been found to be below acceptable educational standards and, if so, if AnCO will provide a special education course for them or direct such trainees to attend some suitable educational institute for short term courses in general education.
The only young people, that is, persons under 18 years of age, being trained by AnCO in its training centres are first year apprentices. To secure entry into a training centre an apprentice must have reached a minimum educational standard, namely, a pass in certain subjects in the group or intermediate certificate examinations.
So far as adults are concerned AnCO does not set any educational standard for entry into training. Instead applicants are selected by means of an aptitude test and an interview.
Is the Minister aware that in some cases there are indications of illiteracy? If he could have this situation examined it would be useful from the point of view of young people. I can assure the Minister cases have been reported to me.
The young people have to attain a minimum educational standard and I do not see how the standard, which they must reach, could be combined with illiteracy but, if the Deputy has any cases where this has been a genuine problem, I would be interested to have particulars of them.
Would the Minister not agree that it is generally accepted that people for training must have a group certificate and would he have any evidence to indicate that people entering trades here are not as well educated as they are in other countries?
Our tradesmen are as literate as are their counterparts in other countries. I am not aware of any widespread illiteracy and I have not had any complaints about illiteracy amongst trainees who have reached the set educational standard.