Speaking at a VEC meeting this week, Councillor Mary Hilda Cavanagh said that the Minister for Enterprise should allocate funding to local authorities to create employment schemes for out-of-work apprentices who had been laid off without completing their training.
“It will be very difficult for young men to pick up work abroad or, indeed, at home when the economy picks up if they have not completed their training.
“Numerous young men who have been unable to complete apprenticeships as carpenters, block layers, fitters, plasterers, plumbers and electricians have been in contact with me and need help. All of these trades are associated with the construction sector. It is important to act now to give these people and their families hope and prevent these young men from falling into long term unemployment.
“The ESB has introduced a significant apprenticeship scheme for thousands of electrical apprenticeships and I would expect the government to act with the same flexibility and imagination for other categories of employment. Local authorities would only be too glad to facilitate the apprentices if resources were provided.
