The Employment and Training Corporation (ETC) is holding meetings with students who are attending MCAST and have the possibility of following an apprenticeship programme as from next year. During these meetings, around 700 students are being informed in detail on the benefits, rights and obligations involved in becoming apprentices.

The ETC is responsible for the administration of the apprenticeship framework. This involves the recruitment and placement of apprentices, the monitoring to ascertain that the structured delivery of training is taking place and final trade testing.

At present, the corporation has over 800 apprentices (up from 300 in 1995) placed with over 400 employers. The corporation’s data show that over 95 per cent of apprentices who successfully conclude their training are in full-time employment.