Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the members for all their questions.

The review of existing apprenticeships will examine whether the skills involved will be useful for the future as well as transferable. In addition, SOLAS is carefully watching the numbers applying in each sector because there has been an oversupply in the past. Part of the job of SOLAS will be to monitor that supply to ensure that there is not over-concentration in a certain area or a certain apprenticeship, because that will not achieve anything for the country.

Each new proposal will involve numeracy and literacy, but the skills will be very much transferable and, as Deputy O'Brien stated, updatable. In addition, it is part of a continuous education. It does not just stop with apprenticeship. We want to show a career path in which one can continuously add to the apprenticeship as one goes. The idea of the skills passport is that one can add to one's career.

We are being careful on this occasion not to end up in a position in two or three years' time in which there are workers who are well qualified in a certain area but who cannot get a job. That is being monitored carefully and will be part of the changes.

When the proposals come in, they will be quite clear. Some might not suit the apprenticeship model. There might be a different method, maybe a traineeship or a different kind of in-house course with employers, that could achieve that. We are trying to ensure that the area of further education and training is flexible enough to adapt and match the needs of employers at both local and national levels. We are covering that.

There will be no reduction in the number of places on PLCs, VTOS and Youthreach. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien referred to the capitation grants.