Trainee squeeze threatens key building businesses

A key group of construction sector businesses says the lack of training programmes for potential new recruits threatens the entire building industry.

Plant hire contractors need to prepare the ground on most building sites before work can begin. They are demanding a meeting with Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris to press their case for an industry apprenticeship programme.

According to Brian Coogan, director of the Irish Plant Contractors’ Association (IPCA), the organisation wants the State to aid it in creating six-month apprenticeships for new recruits to their industry.

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“All construction begins with somebody sitting inside one of our machines,” he said, adding that the association’s members must first prepare the ground on all building sites before work can begin, so they play a key role in the industry.

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However, he warned that IPCA members could not recruit new staff to replace those leaving without proper formal training, which is hitting their industry and has possible consequences for all construction.

At present, the only preparation available is a three-day course. Mr Coogan argued that it was not safe to put someone with just three days’ training in charge of complex machinery costing between €200,000 and €300,000.

Meeting with Solas

He added that if the State supported the creation of a six-month apprenticeship programme “our members will employ anyone who qualifies full-time”.

His group met State training body Solas to discuss its proposals, but Mr Coogan said the talks made little progress.

Solas confirmed that it met the IPCA. The training agency noted that it has a construction skills certification scheme covering various jobs which more than 20,000 candidates completed last year.

“The National Apprenticeship Office welcomes proposals from industry-led groups for the development of new apprenticeships,” said Solas. “One of the key features of the apprenticeship system is that they are developed and overseen by an enterprise-led consortium involving industry and education partners.”

Mr Coogan dismissed Mr Harris’s recent statements about the high number of candidates recruited to the State’s various apprenticeship programmes as irrelevant to his industry.