Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

My first question will build on Deputy Farrell's question a bit. I have seen it reported in the media that 3,376 people who engaged in craft apprenticeships failed to finish courses between 2021 and 2023. Is that figure is correct? Are we researching why people are dropping out of these craft apprenticeships? Are we doing anything in terms of retention measures?

On lifelong learning rates, we are nominally chasing the likes of Sweden. I have old figures from 2018 where its rate was up at approximately 30%. We were at approximately 12.5%, although I know some progress has been made in this regard. Are we analysing the types of courses it is offering in achieving that type of lifelong learning rate? As I read Mr. Beausang's opening statement, I had a concern. I saw a lot of talk about skills that are useful within the marketplace but little discussion about lifelong learning skills that are based around personal development. I do not think it is a zero-sum game. We can allow people to engage in personal development. Like the argument we had around pure research versus applied research when we were looking at Taighde Éireann, we do not always know what skills are going to be useful in the long term. Has the Department undertaken any type of analysis on the type of course breakdown that we see in those successful countries, like Sweden? I have a suspicion that might be a language course, crocheting or whatever. It could be anything at all, but I wish to see people coming through the doors.

Mr. Brownlee talked about unprecedented growth. This is a bit like my apprenticeship question, but wider. What are the retention rates in terms of people who engage in further education and training? People are signing up but I know from my own life that people sign up for a German course, cannot quite make it to the lessons, never quite do the qualification and never move on to the next course. What is our retention rate within courses? How many people are getting to the end and getting their qualifications? Crucially, how many people are progressing on to the next thing? Those questions apply to the microcredentials as well. That is a really exciting space but they are stackable and we want people to stack them.

I have a bunch of other question but that will probably do for the moment.