Ms Fiona Longmuir:

One of the big sectors for Ireland in these more technical, physics-based roles is the manufacture of medical devices. It is a huge area for Ireland. There are also more emerging industries in which there will be apprenticeships for jobs that do not currently exist in the next five to ten years in areas like quantum technologies and green energy. I saw in last year's Generation Apprenticeship report that we have our first dedicated green energy apprenticeships in wind turbine technician maintenance, I think, which is fantastic. We have these thriving sectors already but we need to make sure the voice of industry is heard in these growing and emerging sectors. That is where we really want employers to be interested in apprenticeships and make it clear that the apprenticeship route is a valid one into that kind of job. As to the actual on-the-job training, I do not have that information. It probably depends on which employer you go with. Employers have quite a lot of power in designing their apprenticeship to fit their needs. It probably depends on which apprenticeship one undertakes but we hope they are making use of this amazing developing technology.