24 November 2005 National Secretary Sounds Apprentice Warning Trade apprenticeships risk falling from the reach of young Australians because of low wages and a lack of commitment by employers and government, the CFMEU will warn today. Instead of providing long-term jobs, the trades will become the next sector of the economy performed by foreign guest workers on short-term visas - a policy currently being promoted by the Howard Government. "We are currently at a critical point in the future of the building trades - we either commit to making them accessible careers or we just give up the ghost and off-shore the skills," CFMEU Construction national secretary John Sutton said. Mr Sutton will today launch a 10-point apprentice plan that includes proposals to: - reduce the length of some apprenticeships - restore the importance of pre-apprenticeships - increase apprentice wages - introduce an adult apprentice wage rate, and - impose training quotas on government funded projects "We are calling for all levels of government and the construction industry to take these concrete steps to make building trades apprentices a viable career choice for young Australians," Mr. Sutton said. The CFMEU will also outline its case for significant increases in the wages for apprentices on the eve of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission hearing, which resumes in Sydney tomorrow.   [ more news ]