Vol. 515 No. 3
87 Dr. Upton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the way in which apprentices are assigned to institutes of technology; the timescale in this regard; if this is related to their date of registration with FÁS; if it is a decision of the sponsoring company; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5858/00]
FÁS is responsible for scheduling apprentices for all off-the-job phases in FÁS training centres and in the institutes of technology. All apprentices must be registered with FÁS, and each apprentice is required to undertake the training and assessments of all phases. Where possible, apprentices are assigned to FÁS training centres or to institutes of technology according to geographic catchment. Apprentices will be allocated training places in the institute of technology geographi cally closest to them unless they specifically request a different institute of technology.
All apprentices must be registered by their employers with FÁS within two weeks of commencing their apprenticeships. Phase two training places are allocated based on the apprentice's date of registration with FÁS. Subsequent progress through the apprenticeship depends on the successful completion of the modular and competence assessments at each stage. Therefore apprentices are allocated places on phase four and six training according to the length of time that they have been eligible to attend for that phase.
The normal timescale for the three off-the-job phases is that phases two, four and six should be attended during the first, second and third year of apprenticeship respectively. Given the unprecedented increase in the numbers entering apprenticeship during the last three years, some delays have occurred in some trades, despite significant expansion of training places available to apprentices for the off-the-job training phases. In all cases, FÁS issues letters to both the apprentices and their employers advising of the course arrangements. There is then a process of follow-up contact with the employers in order to maximise apprentice release and course attendance.
