Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 11 October 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Skills and Apprenticeship Landscape in Ireland: Institute of Physics

Ms Fiona Longmuir:

I certainly hope so. In our role at the Institute of Physics, we would be delighted to be a convenor of those physics-based businesses. It is so important that those businesses are heard and shape the apprenticeships. The consortia-based model that apprenticeships are moving towards puts employers very much in the driver's seat. That is a positive move. We would be delighted to convene those businesses and identify priority sectors in which apprenticeships could make a real difference or emerging industries in which Ireland has the potential to be a world leader. If we can harness those opportunities and develop these skilled workers quickly, we have the potential to seize a real opportunity for Ireland as well as for our employers and apprentices.