Pitman Training Calls On Irish Government To Support Their Proven Job Creation Methods With The Forthcoming 'Jobs Initiative'

Online, May 5, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Pitman Training calls on Government to support their proven job creation methods with the forthcoming 'Jobs Initiative'

A spokesperson for Ireland's largest network of independent training centres has called on the Government to support their proven jobs creation methods in their forthcoming Jobs Initiative, due to come before the Dáil this month.

The Pitman Training network has trained over 1,100 students last year alone throughout their network of training centres throughout the country and has delivered some of the most impressive employment statistics in Ireland for their graduates.

"Over 69% of our 2010 graduates found employment after finishing their course, when surveyed last November, and to the best of my knowledge that's higher than any other training institution in Ireland." explained Tomas Finneran, spokesperson for Pitman Training in Ireland.

FÃS - Ireland's National Training and Employment Authority - recently reported that just 13.7% of their students found employment after completing a course in 2010 whilst in Scotland, the equivalent jobs development and training agency often lauded as a successful example, could only convert 48.7% of their students into employment following training.

Finneran explained, "Our system obviously works...the number of our students who gain employment, often before even completing their course proves that. Naturally, we were concerned at the onset of the recession that as the opportunities for employment were reduced, so too would the number of our graduates getting jobs. However, while we've seen a small decrease, the vast majority are finding employment...there might be a pile of job applications, but our students' CVs are going to the top of that pile!"

Fine Gael TD for Waterford John Deasy recently warned that "Generic courses aren't going to have a long-term impact on unemployment in this climate", reflecting what Tomás Finneran is hoping is a new attitude to training for the unemployed in Ireland.

"For too long now, we've heard our Ministers talking about the importance of the "knowledge economy" and 4th level education as the key to prosperity in Ireland. While there's no doubt that it is very important to support and fund our universities and their brightest graduates in continuing to work at the cutting edge, what's really needed in Ireland today - for the vast majority - are practical and productive skills that employers will demand from their future employees".

Pitman Training have written to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Richard Bruton, to highlight the effectiveness of their proven training methodologies and to ask the Minister to ensure that some level of support for individuals who wish to choose Pitman Training, is included as part of the Jobs Initiative, they are proposing:

1) The establishment of an independently administered skills fund, to subsidise course fees for any training course that delivers industry specific training.

2) The establishment of a transparent application process, making it as easy as possible for individuals to identify a course and apply for support from this skills fund.

3) The introduction of a review system, to measure the effectiveness of funded training programmes and courses in taking individuals into employment

4) The extension of the Back to Education Allowance to include training institutions delivering career-specific and industry standard courses.

Finneran is concerned that the plan will only address state sponsored training courses and may exclude innovative providers such as Pitman Training, despite their recent success in up-skilling individuals to secure employment. "The plan is rumoured to include a promise of up to 20,000 training, education and internship places for graduates, newly qualified apprentices and the long-term unemployed. However, if these places are focussed exclusively on state-sponsored colleges and institutions, then this jobs initiative will fail the very people who are most eager to take responsibility and find a new career".