JUST 33 per cent of the targeted registrations ‘New Consortia Apprenticeships” have been filled by November of this year.
The figures were released to Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Niall Collins who has criticised Training and Skills Minister, John Halligan for failing to focus on his day job and the collapse in modern apprenticeships that has followed.
New Consortia Apprenticeships focus on new sectors of the economy such as information technology, insurance and financial services.
“With just 261 of the targeted 800 new registrations having started, this is shocking indictment of Minister Halligan,” Deputy Collins declared.
He also maintains the Minister has simply taken his eye off the ball and the fact that only nine of the 15 consortia have been established is a shocking indictment of a Minister who is failing to do his job.
“There was a lot of fanfare in 2015 from the Government when these new consortia apprenticeships were announced. Yet, as we have come to see from this Government, high profile spin rarely equates to delivery on promises.
“It is correct for the State to support apprenticeships in new sectors of the economy. Matching skilled persons with job market demand is an absolute requirement for maintaining a highly skilled economy,” he concluded.
by Alan Jacques
