Dr. Mary-Liz Trant:

I thank the Deputy. He said I mentioned an estimated figure of approximately 800 by the end of this year. The figure of 510 was at the end of October. The auctioneering programme was mentioned but a range of other programmes are still being rolled out and registering apprentices. We are working on the basis of what each consortium is aiming for by the end of the year. As such, the estimate is 800. That is, in effect, a year behind. We were aiming for 800 in 2017 and it looks like we will have that number by the end of this year. A great deal of our effort has focused on why it is the case that we are year behind. As we said earlier, there is significant demand for apprenticeships, but the issue is getting employers on board, buying into apprenticeship and starting to use it as a pipeline. A number of things need to happen. We are engaging with the consortia on the feedback on what is happening with them and why it is taking longer to get employers on board. They are saying this is positive but asking for patience in circumstances in which it is taking a little more time than anyone originally envisaged. However, it is going in the right direction.

That is a message the council has listened to. That investment needs to be made even by the State, in supporting these apprenticeships to keep going and giving them time to ramp up. It may well be that we get to 2020 and we are still slightly behind, but our expectation is that the numbers will continue to grow. In 2019, we are aiming to have more than 30 new programmes under way and, by the end of 2019, there will not be 42 new programmes but 65 or even 70. The number of employers and apprentices, therefore, will increase immediately and significantly next year. It is about all of our efforts going into awareness. As part of the Generation Apprenticeship competition, there will be an element of employer engagement and employer awareness next year, and that will be rolled out from January. We need to continue to support that momentum, which we have now and which Mr. Donohoe mentioned, and keep it going.

On pathways, the Deputy mentioned the percentage of women and people with disabilities in apprenticeship. The figure for those who declare a disability is 2.75% of the population, which is low. Where a student of an ETB or institute of technology declares a disability, arrangements and supports are in place to ensure he or she is able to proceed. Employers are also good, and there are many case studies and examples of employers supporting people with disabilities who are apprentices to complete their training and become valuable members of the workforce and companies.

A range of steps has been set out to get a better handle on supporting those with disabilities. The figure of 2.75% is people who declare a disability but there could well be more, hidden disabilities. We must provide a universal design and supports to ensure people do not necessarily have to identify but can succeed, as well as the positive message that the overall system and employers welcome people with disabilities and see them as a positive part of their workforce and the ongoing diversity of their companies. There is a range of actions in the pathways report, which we can provide to the committee after the meeting and which is on our websites apprentice.ie and solas.ie, to build awareness and encourage supports. If there are practical barriers, we will work through them with employers in the first instance but also with the education and training providers.