asked the Minister for Labour if he is satisfied with the present situation in relation to the availability of electronic technicians and their training in view of the shortages of such personnel, and if it is proposed to introduce any new conditions in relation to an insistence on such training as a condition of grants for companies being set up here particularly in the electronics area.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Electronic Technicians.
6.
The Manpower Consultative Committee, of which I am chairman, identified areas of occupational skill shortages and initiated measures to eliminate such shortages.
Electronic technicians were among the occupational categories identified as being in short supply. As a result of enquiries made by the National Manpower Service of my Department, an estimate of shortages in this occupational category was determined as being in the region of 100.
To meet the immediate and short-term needs, a recruitment campaign was conducted in Britain in the summer, in an effort to attract skilled workers there, including electronic technicians, and as a special encouragement to people to transfer to jobs here I increased the grants payable under the Resettlement Assistance Scheme very substantially. The results of this campaign are currently being assessed.
To meet the longer term situation, extra places for the training of electronic technicians have been made available in colleges under the control of vocational education committees.
With regard to grant assistance available to companies establishing in this country, a condition of such grants is that acceptable training programmes to meet projected manpower requirements be agreed between AnCO and the company in question. I am satisfied that companies in the electronic sector have displayed a responsible attitude in providing for their training needs to date, and I am confident that this approach, coupled with the initiatives now being taken, will ensure an adequate supply of trained electronic technicians to meet the requirements of the industry.
May I ask the Minister two questions? Firstly, when he talks about a shortage of people, how many people is he talking about? Secondly, could I ask the Minister if he would agree that one of the best ways of ensuring that there would not be shortages in future would be to insist, not on what I think he referred to as agreed or accepted training programmes—which, presumably, means that the company coming in must accept what the Minister asks,—but on a guarantee, by your Department, that there would be imparted to the local domestic labour force the skills necessary to carry on the technology if and when some of these warehouse type companies decide to evacuate, if the economic winds blow the other way.
The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is, as I say, an estimated 100 in the survey carried out. The answer to the second part——
One hundred for how long? Is it per annum?
One hundred at the time of the survey. The shortage at that time was 100.
Was there any projected shortfall?
Yes. I will find the figures.
The Minister can send them to me if he likes.
I will. I do not have the projected figures but we have estimated the needs. In reply to the second part of the Deputy's question I said that it is a condition of such grants that there should be a training programme or programmes acceptable to AnCO. If AnCO are not happy with the training programme the grant will not be paid out. I must compliment a number of the companies who have good training programmes. I have met with some of the people who were trained and they are particularly good in their field. I agree with the Deputy's reasons for asking the question. I agree that industry must help to train people particularly in the areas where there are shortages. The reason for the Resettlement Assistance Scheme was to try to alleviate the immediate shortage as quickly as possible. Some training programmes have been introduced in the third level institutions as well to provide for a greater output.
Question No. 7.
Does the Minister not feel that there is a weakness where he is depending on the goodwill of the company in all cases?
A condition of giving them the grant is that there be a training programme acceptable to AnCO.
What is more important is whether the company accept it.
Of course, but they will not get the grant unless the programme is acceptable.
It is a seller's market.
It is not.