Apprentices have hit out at plans to charge them to go to college calling it a tax on training. They have launched a national campaign to have the fee scrapped.
They are being charged between €833 and €1,433 for 10 weeks of off-the-job training in ITs across the country despite many of them earning less than the minimum wage.
The joint campaign has been launched by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU).
Labour MEP Emer Costello, who supports the campaign, said she would have no difficulty raising the issue within the Labour Party - and described the charge as "ill conceived".
USI President Joe O'Connor said "This represents an additional fee burden on student apprentices which we believe will be unaffordable for many, and will act as a disincentive".
"We would urge the Minister to reconsider this decision, particularly in the context of the Apprenticeship Review, which is yet to be published".
Chris McCormack from Dublin is a second year apprentice. He says they do not get the benefits that full-time students do.
