Friday, July 29th, 2005
Boosting modern apprentice numbers applauded
Labour's commitment to increase the number of modern apprentices by 5000 by 2008 is a welcome commitment to building our
trades' skill base, says the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern).
But business would prefer for the cap on numbers in apprenticeships and in workplace training to be lifted, as National
has promised, said EMA chief executive, Alasdair Thompson.
"Nonetheless any boost to the numbers of people in skills training represents good public policy," he said, "excluding
bribes to tertiary students with tax payers' funds to pay interest on their loans."
ENDS