Written Answers. - Apprenticeships Statistics.
Eric J. Byrne
Question:
255
Mr. E. Byrne
asked the
Minister for Enterprise and Employment
the number currently entering apprenticeships, broken down by discipline, age and qualifications obtained prior to entering apprenticeship; whether he has satisfied himself that the numbers are sufficient to meet demands in all relevant disciplines and sectors; the FÁS targets for the numbers of apprenticeships in each discipline; the short-term measures, if any, which are being taken to meet the current shortage in the building industry and in the motor repair industry in view of the introduction of MOT; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[4451/97]
The standards-based apprenticeship system, which is administered by FÁS, was introduced in September 1993 and includes 25 trades at present. The duration of an apprenticeship is now four years, approximately, and there are seven phases in all — four on-the-job with the employer and three off-the-job in a FÁS training centre or an educational establishment.
In the first full year in which the new standard-based apprenticeship applied to all the major designated trades i.e. September 1995 to August 1996 the total number of new apprentices registered with FÁS was 3,587. This figure was marginally in excess of the figure of 3,500 set as an annual apprenticeship intake target for FÁS in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress.
The following tables show the numbers of new apprentices registered with FÁS in 1996, and in 1997 — up to 14 February — by trade, age and qualifications.
Responsibility for the recruitment of apprentices rests with employers in the relevant industry sector and is therefore demand-led. FÁS does not set targets in respect of individual trades as such. However FÁS continues, in consultation with the industry sectors, to monitor areas of emerging demand and to promote the employment of apprentices both overall and particularly in areas of emerging shortages.
In that regard, there is a small number of trades where the intake figures continue to be a matter for concern. These are mainly in the so-called "wet trades" in the construction industry i.e. painter, bricklayer and plasterer. In a report on apprenticeship produced by the Construction Industry Federation in April 1995 difficulties were predicted as a result of the lower than normal ratios of apprentices to craftsperson in these trades over a number of prior years, even if there was to be no overall growth in demand for craftspersons in these areas. The report further states that any shortage of skilled workers during the period 1995 to 1999 would mainly arise because of the low recruitment of apprentices in the years prior to the introduction of the standards-based apprenticeship system.
In an effort to deal with the current short-term skills shortage affecting a number of trades, and in addition to its ongoing promotional work, FÁS is working in collaboration with the CIF in a campaign to attract and bring back skilled craftspersons from Europe. This campaign has a particular focus on London, Holland and Germany.
In conjunction with the SIMI, FÁS continues to encourage employers in the motor trade to recruit and train apprentices. The FÁS motor industry working party, in conjunction with the engineering industry training committee, is in the process of developing methods aimed at increasing the recruitment of motor apprentices in preparation for the increased demand for craftspersons which is likely to arise from the introduction of compulsory private car testing.
FÁS — Training and Employment Authority Report on Live Apprentices by Start Age (Standards Based Apprenticeship)
Registered in 1996
|
Trade
|
Registered in 1996
|
Age Analysis
|
Qualifications
|
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20+
|
J/I/G
|
Leaving
|
Other
|
|
01/Cabinet maker
|
156
|
20
|
41
|
55
|
19
|
21
|
79
|
77
|
0
|
|
02/Wood machinist
|
39
|
2
|
15
|
17
|
4
|
1
|
20
|
19
|
0
|
|
10/Originator
|
16
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
4
|
8
|
8
|
0
|
|
13/Printer
|
67
|
3
|
9
|
17
|
22
|
16
|
19
|
48
|
0
|
|
16/Carton maker
|
8
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
6
|
0
|
|
18/Bookbinder
|
20
|
4
|
6
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
7
|
13
|
0
|
|
46/Electrician
|
933
|
59
|
181
|
347
|
187
|
159
|
280
|
649
|
4
|
|
48/Instrumentation
|
19
|
1
|
1
|
10
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
18
|
0
|
|
49/Electrical/Instrumentation
|
9
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
7
|
0
|
|
50/Motor mechanic
|
338
|
68
|
101
|
100
|
41
|
28
|
192
|
142
|
4
|
|
51/Agricultural mechanic
|
62
|
12
|
21
|
13
|
8
|
8
|
34
|
27
|
1
|
|
52/Heavy vehicle mechanic
|
136
|
22
|
52
|
41
|
14
|
7
|
70
|
66
|
0
|
|
53/Vehicle body repair
|
95
|
24
|
27
|
22
|
12
|
10
|
60
|
33
|
2
|
|
60/Fitter
|
303
|
40
|
61
|
112
|
50
|
40
|
113
|
183
|
7
|
|
62/Toolmaker
|
117
|
1
|
20
|
49
|
23
|
24
|
22
|
94
|
1
|
|
65/Aircraft mechanic
|
44
|
3
|
16
|
20
|
2
|
3
|
14
|
30
|
0
|
|
66/Refrigeration craftsperson
|
55
|
1
|
10
|
20
|
13
|
11
|
19
|
35
|
1
|
|
70/Sheetmetal worker
|
72
|
7
|
30
|
19
|
6
|
10
|
45
|
26
|
1
|
|
72/Metal fabrication
|
215
|
28
|
52
|
70
|
40
|
25
|
103
|
111
|
1
|
|
78/Floor/Wall tiler
|
10
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
6
|
4
|
0
|
|
80/Carpenter/Joiner
|
729
|
129
|
185
|
245
|
93
|
77
|
326
|
394
|
9
|
|
81/Painter and decorator
|
88
|
12
|
22
|
30
|
9
|
15
|
43
|
40
|
5
|
|
82/Plumbing
|
358
|
48
|
78
|
123
|
59
|
50
|
183
|
172
|
3
|
|
83/Bricklayer
|
175
|
32
|
58
|
49
|
16
|
20
|
102
|
71
|
2
|
|
84/Plasterer
|
85
|
13
|
17
|
27
|
16
|
12
|
44
|
40
|
1
|
|
89/Construction plant fitter
|
68
|
13
|
15
|
21
|
7
|
12
|
34
|
33
|
1
|
|
4,217
|
548
|
1,024
|
1,422
|
659
|
564
|
1,828
|
2,236
|
43
|
J: Junior CertI: Inter CertG: Group CertL: Leaving Cert.
Note: The major time for recruitment of apprentices is September/October.
FÁS — Training and Employment Authority Report on Live Apprentices by Start Age (Standards Based Apprenticeship)
Registered in 1997
|
Trade
|
Registered in 1997
|
Age Analysis
|
Qualifications
|
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20+
|
J/I/G
|
Leaving
|
Other
|
|
01/Cabinet maker
|
28
|
8
|
6
|
10
|
2
|
2
|
13
|
14
|
1
|
|
02/Wood machinist
|
7
|
1
|
3
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
3
|
0
|
|
13/Printer
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
46/Electrician
|
215
|
15
|
49
|
74
|
45
|
32
|
58
|
157
|
0
|
|
49/Electricial/Instrumentation
|
13
|
0
|
3
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
12
|
0
|
|
50/Motor mechanic
|
45
|
9
|
15
|
15
|
3
|
3
|
30
|
15
|
0
|
|
51/Agricultural mechanic
|
7
|
0
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
5
|
0
|
|
52/Heavy vehicle mechanic
|
21
|
2
|
5
|
8
|
4
|
2
|
10
|
11
|
0
|
|
53/Vehicle body repair
|
12
|
7
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
10
|
2
|
0
|
|
60/Fitter
|
28
|
0
|
4
|
11
|
8
|
5
|
6
|
22
|
0
|
|
62/Toolmaker
|
10
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
3
|
1
|
3
|
7
|
0
|
|
65/Aircraft mechanic
|
15
|
0
|
2
|
8
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
9
|
3
|
|
66/Refrigeration craftsperson
|
6
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
5
|
0
|
|
70/Sheetmetal worker
|
12
|
2
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
8
|
4
|
0
|
|
72/Metal fabrication
|
63
|
1
|
6
|
20
|
20
|
16
|
18
|
45
|
0
|
|
80/Carpenter/Joiner
|
97
|
9
|
28
|
37
|
9
|
14
|
41
|
56
|
0
|
|
81/Painter and decorator
|
16
|
1
|
2
|
7
|
3
|
3
|
10
|
6
|
0
|
|
82/Plumbing
|
68
|
11
|
20
|
15
|
10
|
12
|
34
|
34
|
0
|
|
83/Bricklayer
|
39
|
10
|
6
|
7
|
11
|
5
|
23
|
15
|
1
|
|
84/Plasterer
|
20
|
5
|
7
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
14
|
6
|
0
|
|
89/Construction plant fitter
|
9
|
1
|
5
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
4
|
0
|
|
732
|
83
|
165
|
242
|
135
|
107
|
295
|
432
|
5
|
J: Junior CertI: Inter CertG: Group CertL: Leaving Cert.
Note: The major time for recruitment of apprentices is September/October.
