Govt unfair: Motec man
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CHANGES in Government training policies are hampering plans at the Road Transport Industry Training Board's Livingston Motec for the new season, beginning in August.
Motec (Multi-Occupational Training and Education Centre), general manager John Lambert said at a luncheon last week that the Government had changed from work-skilled courses to youth training. "But they haven't yet sorted out the different types of applications," he said.
"It takes us nine months for all the complex planning involved — and the courses start in August, so we haven't much time."
Mr Lambert said that Motec, custom built and unique in Europe for training of apprentices, had gone through hard times because of high unemployment, closures and redundancies.
"The recession has hit transport and us badly — we had only 188 apprentices instead of the 425 planned for.
"We fought hard against plans to close us down and have come through to the extent that the Manpower Services Commission has become involved with youth training. So next month we will be full again, unlike 10 months ago." Mr Lambert also expressed the hope that the Government would do something to create job opportunities for all ages, not just school leavers. "We have three-and-a-half-million unemployed — a very sad wastage of skilled manpower."