Robbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the delegates for their presentations. I recently saw a European league table on which we in Ireland were very much in the bottom half when it came to the scale and diversity of the apprenticeships on offer. If we were to put the scale of the problem in perspective, the figures Dr. Jim Murray outlined are worth repeating. In the 2017-18 academic year the total apprentice population was 14,871. When one compares that figure to the 235,644 student enrolled in the same academic year in higher education, it nails down the scale of the problem in front of us. For years, as Senator Ruane outlined, the sexy option was to proceed to higher education, while the lesser option was to take up an apprenticeship. How do we tackle the statistics in a positive way? A few of the delegates mentioned public awareness. That is the key. We need to do a substantial amount of work to increase public awareness to try to attract people to apprenticeships. I come from County Monaghan. If I was to mention the name Combilift, most people in this room would be familiar with it. If I was to mention the name Martin McVicar, most people would associate it with Combilift. If we were looking for an ambassador for apprenticeships, Mr. McVicar would fit the role very well. He is managing director of a company that exports to more than 100 countries. He took the route of an apprenticeship as opposed to attending third level. If one were looking to find an ambassador for apprenticeships, one could pick up the telephone and call him.

I wonder about the level of consultation with employers. Having listened to the presentations, it seems that, in terms of apprenticeships, the journey is only beginning. It is admirable that we have made a start, but we have so much more to do. There should be more consultation with employers.

The other statistic in figures I saw recently that strikes me is where apparently the level of female participation in apprenticeships in this country is 2% and that in our closest neighbour, the UK, is 50%. Clearly, there is much to be done in that regard as well. What can we do to increase that figure?

We need to incentivise employers to go down that road. We need to incentivise those who are participating and show them a clear picture of what the endgame will look like. Do the witnesses have anything in mind that could incentivise employers to go down this road? For the unemployed who see an apprenticeship, initially at any rate, as leaving them not much better off financially than they would be if they were remain on social welfare, is there anything we can do to incentivise them as well?