Some recommendations

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which oversees FAS, and the Department of Education and Science should clarify their respective roles in relation to apprenticeship and traineeship. The report points to at least two areas where these roles clash.

Despite the central role of FAS, the Department of Education and Science is keen to stress that the training agency "does not have ownership of the concept of traineeship." It puts on hundreds of PLC courses with a work experience element, although FAS dismisses this as a small "add on" of a few weeks.

The apprenticeship scheme's assessment procedures are another contentious area. Here there are tensions between the more practical emphasis of FAS tests and the more academic demands of exams set by the ITs in the later phases of an apprentice's training.

A national qualifications authority should be established "as a matter of urgency." This is particularly critical for young people doing traineeships, to allow their skills to be certified and recognised. The report notes that almost half of the `host' companies surveyed were "unsure of the qualifications awarded to successful trainees on completion of training."

The educationally disadvantaged should become a "key target group" for traineeships. This group should range from those who hold a Leaving Cert which is not good enough to go on to third level to people progressing from foundation courses in literacy, numeracy and other basic skills.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment should encourage employers to "lower their expectations" to take on trainees who do not have the Leaving Cert. The Department and FAS should make public statements saying they will help companies with skills shortages by placing trainees with them whose lack of qualifications or experience of unemployment "may not reflect their potential."

There should be a co-ordinated policy to promote participation by disadvantaged groups in apprenticeship schemes. The key groups would be women, early school-leavers, people with disabilities and the long-term unemployed.

This should involve more work in Transition Year programmes; more promotion of apprenticeships by guidance counsellors; more guidance and counselling during apprenticeships; special provision for people with disabilities; and an information campaign with employers, emphasising the benefits for firms in taking on people who would become particularly loyal and long-term employees.

A committee representing the social partners should oversee the development of traineeships. Membership should include the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Education and Science, FAS, IBEC, the Construction Industry Federation and ICTU. This committee should approve each traineeship developed at local level to avoid duplication.

The duration of standards-based apprenticeships, currently fixed at four years, should be reviewed on a trade-by-trade basis. The minimum duration of traineeships should be nine months, since no credible qualification can be achieved in less than this time.