asked the Minister for Labour the number of persons taken on as apprentices by employers who have been laid off without completing their training during the past year; and whether his Department have identified any case of abuse of this scheme by employers.
Written Answers. - Apprenticeship Scheme.
461.
The register maintained by AnCO of apprentices notified to them as having lost their employment shows a total of 1,682 as at 31 May 1982. This figure, however, does not allow for apprentices who have taken up alternative employment of which AnCO have not been notified.
All apprentices notified to AnCO as having lost their jobs are written to by AnCO advising them to contact a specified AnCO training centre, usually the centre nearest their home address. AnCO then try to place these apprentices on suitable training programmes either within AnCO itself, within the educational system or with employers while efforts are being made through special apprentice placement committees based in the centres to find alternative full-time placements for them with other employers.
While on this interim training the income of the apprentice is maintained, accommodation is subsidised if necessary, and the period spent in training is credited to the apprentice's period of apprenticeship. For the 12 months referred to a total of 1,148 apprentices were accommodated on such programmes. I am satisfied that, in general, lay-off of apprentices by employers has been due to the recession and that every possible effort is being made by AnCO and my Department to help redundant apprentices who wish to do so, to complete their apprenticeship.