AN160290 – Sheet Metal Workers' Award No. 10 of 1973
(1) The employment of apprentices shall be governed by the provisions of the Apprenticeship Regulations 1972.
(2) Apprentices may be taken to sheetmetal working (1st Class) metal spinning (1st Class), first class welding and first class painting (Sheetmetal).
(3) The maximum number of apprentices allowed to any employer shall be in the proportion of one apprentice to every two or fraction of two journeymen employed by him. Provided that the fraction of two shall not be less than one. Provided further than in an "approved" shop or factory the proportion shall be one apprentice for every one journeyman. For the purpose of this proviso an "approved" shop or factory shall be one to which approval (as regards one or more particular trades) has been given by the Board of Reference appointed under Clause 22 Board of Reference hereof.
(4) Except as hereinafter provided, every agreement of apprenticeship shall be for a period of five years other than for the trade of first class painting (Sheetmetal) which shall be for a period of four years unless, with approval of the Commission such periods are reduced or deemed to have been commenced prior to the date of the agreement, provided that -
(a) where the apprentice other than a first class painting (Sheetmetal) apprentice has completed the tenth year of schooling and has obtained the Achievement Certificate, High School Certificate or Junior Certificate of the Public Examinations Board in such subjects and at such levels as the appropriate Apprenticeship Advisory Board determines and has the vocational aptitude for the trade concerned, the period of apprenticeship shall be four years; and
(b) where the apprentice has completed the eleventh year of schooling and has obtained the Achievement Certificate, High School Certificate or Junior Certificate of the Public Examinations Board in such subjects and at such levels as the appropriate Apprenticeship Advisory Board determines and has the vocational aptitude for the trade concerned, he may be allowed a credit to reduce the period to three and a half years; and
(c) where the apprentice has completed the twelfth year of schooling and has obtained the Achievement Certificate, the High School Certificate or Leaving Certificate of the Public Examinations Board in such subjects and at such levels as the appropriate Apprenticeship Advisory Board determines and has the vocational aptitude for the trade concerned, he may be allowed a credit to reduce the period to three years.
(5) (a) Where classes are provided by the Technical Education Division of the Education Department in the locality in which the apprentice is employed, the hours of attendance at such classes shall be -
(i) where the period of apprenticeship is for five years - eight hours per week for the first school year and eight hours per fortnight for each of the three subsequent school years;
(ii) where the period of apprenticeship is for four years or less - eight hours per week for the first and second school years and eight hours per fortnight for the next school year, provided that;
(b) Where suitable facilities for block release are provided for first class painting (sheetmetal), by the Technical Education Division of the Education Department, the period during which an apprentice to that trade is to attend vocational classes shall be six weeks in each of the first, second and third school years, consisting of two periods of three weeks respectively.
(c) Subject to Regulation 28 of the "Apprenticeship Regulations" an apprentice to first class painting (Sheetmetal) from any district in a country area where an appropriate technical class is not established for that trade, shall attend an approved technical centre for two weeks' training each year without loss of pay.
