in apprenticeship system will lead to skills deficit’ – TUI
(13 Apr 2009)
The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) has warned of the inevitability of a skills deficit unless the State moves to boost our apprenticeship system. The union has expressed concerns over the prospect of a serious deficit in the skills base of the state in major areas in years to come. An initiative whereby some element of craft education can be provided through educational institutions is highly desirable and not costly as staff are already available due to the reduction in apprentice numbers. The union believes State sponsorship of some pre-apprenticeship schemes could be cost neutral to the Exchequer in terms of monies not paid out in social welfare.
TUI represents 4,000 Institute of Technology lecturers among its 14,500 members. TUI’s annual Congress takes place in Cork this week.
Speaking today, TUI General Secretary Peter MacMenamin said:
“Apprenticeship is a vital area of education which is also critical for our economy. We have a high quality apprenticeship scheme and we must preserve it. However, the system in Ireland is industry led. The apprentice must be taken on by an employer at a significant cost to the employer before commencing the course. When the economy goes into decline so do apprentice numbers and that is happening around the country at the moment.
There is likely to be a significant and potentially disastrous decline in the number of apprentices over the coming year. The most direct effect will be reduced number of apprentices coming into the workplace and a reduced number of qualified craftspeople available for employment in some years time when the economy is poised to grow. Of necessity then there will be a lag time of some years before the apprentice numbers can pick up unless there is an initiative in this regard. At a time when we need to move towards boosting the skill levels of every individual in the workforce, allowing this deterioration in skill levels would be short-sighted in the extreme.
TUI believes that an initiative is needed to maintain the necessary skill in the economy and to ensure that there are young people who are given some basis of craft education through a means other than the industry led system, not necessarily sponsored by an employer, so that these young people will be in a position to be fast tracked to fully qualified apprentice status with little or no lag time once the economy picks up. This can be done through the Institutes of Technology using the skilled personnel available and at minimal cost.
It is TUI’s view that the State should move towards a mechanism where it finances the provision of some pre-apprenticeship courses. We acknowledge the current economic situation, but the majority of these young people would most likely be in receipt of social welfare benefits from the State in any event even if they are not given the opportunity to up-skill. In this regard, such a State led – as opposed to industry led – scheme would be cost neutral or near to cost neutral to the State. It would also be consistent with our aim of developing a skill or knowledge based economy.”