Fine Gael today called on the Government to tackle what it said was a threefold increase in the number of jobless apprentices since January.
In a statement, party enterprise spokesman Leo Varadkar said apprentices are being "left high and dry as Brian Cowen’s recession takes hold".
“Young trainees setting out on their careers are taking a hammering from the economic downturn and the housing sector collapse, with almost 1,000 Fás apprentices now on the dole and unable to complete their training," he said.
According to Mr Varadkar, figures from Fás showed there were 984 redundant apprentices midway through July, compared to just 344 last January. "This figure is set to rise as the construction sector meltdown continues."
“Most of these apprentices are already highly trained . . . yet because of the economic downturn and the collapse in the housing sector, they cannot get on-the-job placements to complete their training," the Fine Gael TD said.
“Instead of addressing this issue through retraining, the Tánaiste has taken the wrong step of cutting spending on apprenticeships by €19 million for the remainder of the year." Mr Varadkar called on Mary Coughlan, the Minister for Enterprise and Employment, to give a guarantee to redundant apprentices that they will be able to finish their training.
He continued: “I am also concerned that some construction companies are letting partially trained apprentices go, in order to replace them with cheaper new entrants."
A grant to employers would ensure that apprentices are kept on until they have completed their training, Mr Varadkar added.
