Public service apprenticeships to combat recession

April 3, 2009
Media Release

Public service apprenticeships needed to combat recession – EPMU Industry Council

The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union’s Public Services Industry Council has issued a resolution calling for District Health Boards, councils and their trading organisations to absorb apprentices who are being made redundant by local firms.

The industry council, which is made up of public service workers from across the country, says such a scheme would help combat unemployment and increase the skill base of workers and their communities for the next economic upturn.

EPMU national public services organiser Ron Angel says union members in the sector are well aware of the need for measures that address the recession while fulfilling long-term objectives.

“Most of the members on the council have experienced recessions before and know that any scheme to create jobs in a downturn also has to be focused on longer-term economic objectives.

“One of the big issues of the last boom was a shortage of skilled workers and that will happen again unless we use this recession to develop the kind of skilled and productive workforce we need to make sure we enter the next upswing in a strong position to take advantage of it.

“The industry council sees that one the most efficient ways to do this is to expand the processes the DHBs and councils and their trading organisations already have in place to create new apprenticeship positions.

“Industry council members will be lobbying in their workplaces for this scheme to be implemented.”

The Public Services Industry Council is one of the EPMU’s 11 member-led industry councils and meets twice annually to provide strategic direction for the union’s operations in the public service.

The resolution is as follows:

At a meeting of the EPMU Public Services and Infrastructure Industry Council, held in Wellington on Monday and Tuesday 30-31 March 2009 the council discussed the idea of DHB’s and Regional and City councils in their communities employing additional apprentices as a concrete way of both combating unemployment and increasing the skill base of workers in these communities.

Furthermore the Industry Council also called for the absorption of apprentices who are being made redundant by local firms in DHBs, City Council and State Owned Enterprises.

ENDS

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