Construction union UCATT has warned the Government that its plans to significantly increase the number of apprenticeships being offered in the construction industry are being undermined by the agency whose job it is to promote the scheme.

The revelation comes at a particularly sensitive time, the beginning of Apprenticeship Week and the Government has announced further plans to expand apprenticeships, especially in construction.

UCATT have written to John Denham the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, warning that ConstructionSkills the body responsible for the training and placement of apprentices is undermining his initiatives. UCATT are seeking an urgent meeting with Mr Denham to further convey their concerns.

At a meeting next month ConstructionSkills will debate a proposal to end the requirement for apprentices to be full-time with a single employer. The paper proposes that apprentices could be part-time, self-employed, not employed but on work placement or be employed by a host of different employers.

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ConstructionSkills claim the changes are needed to keep apprentices in work during the economic downturn but any change in the structure of apprentice training would also apply to new apprentices recruited under the Government's expansion plans.

Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, said: "It is outrageous that a Government agency is deliberately trying to undermine this excellent Government initiative. The industry is in desperate need of young fully skilled workers. ConstructionSkills should be attempting to maximise and enhance the Government's proposals not trying to undermine them and water them down."

"At best these proposals are unworkable, no apprentice is going to spend 10 years on part-time training. At worst they could be lethal as apprentices will not receive proper supervision and could be placing themselves or others in danger."

UCATT believes that many of the problems at ConstructionSkills are due to the organisation being heavily dominated by employers. A radical change in the composition of the ConstructionSkills Board, would result in the organisation properly focussing its energies on the training of apprentices.

Mr Ritchie added: "ConstructionSkills are failing to train apprentices and have got themselves into a financial mess due to the fact that the organisation is dominated by employers. Far too much of the money which should be set aside for apprenticeship training is being creamed off for other projects."

(CD/JM)