Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the strides that have been made in respect of apprenticeships and the apprenticeship system. At the start of this year, we saw a record uptake in the number of apprenticeships, especially among women. Last month, new gender-based funding was introduced for apprenticeship employees, funding which is worth over €2,000 to them. The new apprenticeship scheme opens up further opportunities for women and will, hopefully, increase the numbers that will take up apprenticeship programmes.

The main issues we have at present relate to the uptake of apprenticeship programmes by all genders, the registration process and the lack of available places at college level for apprentices to continue the stages of their programme. I have been contacted by numerous businesses in Carlow over the past year. They have found it very difficult to recruit apprentices and have also found it difficult to register them as part of the programme. There seem to be issues around the registration process and obtaining registration speedily. Can this be looked at urgently? I have also been contacted by apprentices who have found it difficult to secure places in college as part of their programme, which has stalled their progression to the next stages of their apprenticeships. That has meant that a normal four-year programme is taking far longer. A few apprentices who have had that experience have attended my office. I believe both of these issues are urgent. We are in a housing crisis and have a construction worker shortage. Addressing these issues will increase the number of apprentices and workers available.

The biggest issue I find when I speak to young men and women who want an apprenticeship is that the pay is very bad. The cost of living, including the cost of fuel and petrol, and even the price of lunch, means that those apprentices are not coming out with anything. We need to consider a funding campaign.

I am a mother of four children and I know college is not for everyone. Carlow now has a technological university, as we know, and we are proud of that. Apprenticeships are valuable. There is not enough communication in schools. Not enough information is provided to children at a young age. We need to go into schools and tell them about the apprenticeships available and the need for them. We need apprentices now more than ever. We need a campaign that goes into primary schools, perhaps fifth and sixth class, and into secondary schools and tells those students about apprenticeships and the wonderful work that can be done with apprenticeships and the need for them. We are crying out for apprentices. I always feel there is a lack of information. While we all think college is great and welcome it, not everyone wants to go to university. It is important we get the balance right. I ask that we consider a campaign.

The funding and payment for young men and women who want to go into apprenticeships must be addressed. If we could move on that, it would play a big part.

Carlow College, St. Patrick's is great. I am always suggesting it would be ideal to do an extensive apprenticeship programme for young men and women and encourage them into apprenticeships. I am fully supportive of the new system and the new scheme. We still have to make some changes but at least we have made a start and, hopefully, we will get more work done.

See this speech in context