asked the Minister for Labour the facilities which are available for apprentices who have been unable to complete their apprenticeships as a result of employers going out of business; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Apprentice Redundancies.
13.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a similar question asked by him on 4 February, 1986 — Volume 363, No. 7 of the Dáil Official Report — when I explained the arrangements to help such apprentices and indicated my satisfaction with them in the context of AnCO's limited resources.
As I explained there is a statutory obligation for an employer to notify AnCO one month in advance of a decision to terminate the employment of an apprentice.
AnCO then make every effort to enable the apprentice to continue the apprenticeship, by taking one or more of the following measures, subject to the on-going availability of finance:
(i) Endeavour through AnCO Training Advisory Service, NMS, IDA, YEA to have the apprentice re-employed in a company to complete his-her apprenticeship.
(ii) Accommodate the apprentice on a block release course of eight to 11 weeks duration where this is practical and possible.
(iii) Accommodate the apprentice on a CYTP or a training centre updating of skills course depending on the apprentice trade category.
(iv) Accommodate the apprentice on an AnCO approved external course, i.e. ESB, CIE, and Lapple.
The apprentice is then credited with the time spent on any of the above courses. It should be pointed out that in respect of (ii), (iii) and (iv) the apprentice has to be out of employment for three months before going on one of these courses.
All unemployed and redundant apprentices who are notified to AnCO are issued with a brochure giving advice and details of procedures for unemployed apprentices.
How successful are these schemes? In effect they do not operate. There is a substantial number of apprentices who have served perhaps one year with AnCO and another year elsewhere before being let go, without having any opportunity to complete the third and fourth years of their apprenticeship. Some statistics have been circulated by the craft unions. The matter continues to be a source of great annoyance to parents because these young people are unable to serve their trade. Can anything be done? The schemes which exist were drawn up when times were good economically and they do not work now.
I agree that there has been a change in attitude towards apprentices and the method of training. AnCO at present support about 806 redundant or unemployed apprentices on a variety of specifically designed programmes. In 1985 AnCO supported 3,191 apprentices, while in 1984 the figure was 3,450. They supported approximately 2,500 in 1985.
Do they assist them for one year or to finish their apprenticeship?
I assume that these do not finish their course.