Labour Party Launch Living Wage And Skills Investment Document

The Labour Party has outlined its plan for the introduction of a living wage and additional investment in skills.

The 'Launching a Skills Revolution' document commits to:

• Create 50,000 apprenticeship and traineeship places over the next five years. We will also develop an additional 60 apprenticeship types to ensure a far broader range of possibilities for young people.

• Introduce 100,000 new free part-time education places. These will be provided through the Springboard, Momentum and eCollege programmes. They will ensure that people already in work can afford to upskill and develop their career prospects.

• Improve third level funding and access. As we await the findings of the Expert Group on Higher Education Funding, Labour will reduce the student contribution by €500, invest in demographic and staff funding and set aside €60m for postgraduate support.

• Direct the Low Pay Commission to target a Minimum Wage of 60% of median earnings by 2021. This would be €11.30 per hour in today’s value. Government will lead by example - we will make the State a living wage employer by 2018. 

Launching the proposals, Tanaiste Joan Burton said: "Labour believes in opportunity for all, not just for a few. We will create 50,000 new apprenticeships and traineeships to give young people choice in how they build their careers. 

"There is also a need to help people already in work to reskill and upskill. So we will introduce 100,000 new free part-time education places. These will be provided through the Springboard, Momentum and eCollege programmes.

"They will ensure that people already in work can afford to upskill and develop their career prospects. Opportunity lies at the heart of all these steps."

(MH/LM)