Labour has welcomed the announcement that ESB is to recruit 300 apprentices over the next five years.

Labour TD Sean Kenny said apprenticeships ensure that companies are able to develop and retain skilled members of staff that are essential to maintain a successful business.

Mr Kenny said: "I support the work currently being done by Government to renew the apprenticeship model. The reality is that the idea of the apprenticeship has come to be seen as being of less value than other routes towards a decent job, even though the numbers of people applying for apprenticeships is higher than it has been in the past few years.

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"I think that needs to change. That means that apprenticeships that are currently available will be reviewed to see how applicable they are for the 21st century, and whether they are targeted towards the best sectors of the economy."

(CD/JP)