Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As I had to go the Seanad Chamber to attend to quorum duties, I apologise if I ask any question that has been asked already.

I thank the four delegates for their very informative presentations. To follow up on what Deputy Catherine Martin said about an apprenticeship expo, I know that in the mid-west there was recently an apprenticeship day. Free buses were provided which collected students from schools and brought them to the expo. It was a really successful day. Parents turned up with students to find out about the various apprenticeships on offer, which was good. I educated myself about some of the apprenticeships that I did not even realise were available. For example, I did not realise there were apprenticeships in the area of refrigeration and so on. I would not have thought about it before. It is welcome that apprenticeships are growing because I am a big fan of them, especially given that third level education is not for everyone. Many apprenticeships have been awarded. I am aware of QQI, but some of the apprenticeships are being tied with the institutes of technology and the universities such that apprentices can be awarded, say, a certificate, a diploma or a degree. Are they all being accredited or is it just some of them? Given the fact that the expo was such a success, will it be repeated in other areas? It was the second or third year it was run in the mid-west. I pay tribute to Mr. Joe Leddin, the regional skills manager, who put the project together. It was great to bring employers and apprentices together.

This ties in with a question that was asked earlier. Is there a lot of collaboration between employers and apprentices? I spoke to some hairdressers recently. They take on many apprentices and must pay the various fees, but they receive no incentive or tax relief or anything else. Could this be considered? Could employers be incentivised to take on apprentices in such a way that they would receive something at the other end for investing in the employee of the future? Some employers take on many employees or apprentices and train them. It is important that a balance be struck in that regard.

I think the delegates mentioned 35 other programmes in development. Could we be given a broad outline of what else has been proposed?