Coughlan makes the wrong cut – Kevin Callan

Local Apprenticeships and upskilling should be protected - Drogheda North Fine Gael Representative, Kevin Callan has condemned the Government's decision to cut €19.15 million from apprenticeships and €440,000 from the 'Skillnets' upskilling programme."Rather than cutting back on apprenticeships and upskilling, the Minister should fight to protect the skills budget.

At a time of rising unemployment, we should invest in training, with particular emphasis on those who do not have the skills or qualifications to gain employment in the new economy. The apprenticeship training within FÁS was one of the few very valuable programmes in the State's training agency. There are still jobs in health care, services and logistics for those who have the skills."The Tánaiste has taken the easy option by cutting back on apprenticeships and skills. Instead, she should have totally overhauled the €1 billion FÁS bureaucracy transferring Community Employment schemes to local authorities, protecting apprenticeships and skillnets, integrating training schemes with the Institutes of Technology and cutting back on Jobstart."Recent financial irregularities in the FÁS advertising budget, exposed by Fine Gael, should have led the Minister to look closely at cutting that budget, but again, the Tánaiste took the wrong option."

Contact Kevin Directly on: 087 777 6648