Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Thank you. For information purposes, the committee is looking at the whole issue of apprenticeships and the very low number of female apprentices. We had SOLAS before us last week, as well as two apprentices, one a 23-year old woman from Dublin who was a qualified electrician with the ESB. She told us her story and how she decided to go down that route. She studied engineering for six months and did not like it, and then became an apprentice. Seventy-five apprentices were taken on by the ESB four years ago, three of whom were women. We also had a man from Wexford. He was a career changer at 30 years of age and he has just completed a level 8 qualification in insurance. It was fantastic to hear. He started work at 16 in the tourism industry, where he was a bar manager before he decided to change career.

The committee is looking at the promotion of this area. A third level college does not have to be the only way forward and is not for everyone. We believe we have to put a special focus on the trades. We will send on the report when it is competed. There are some who are tradespeople all their working lives but, when they come to their early 50s, especially if they have been working in the building trade, in particular the wet trades, it no longer suits them and they might have to change their careers, upskill or move to a different area. It has been very obvious to the committee that this situation exists and I wanted to let the Minister know the work we have been doing. We always try to be as constructive as possible.

There is a crossover with the Department of Education and Skills in regard to skills and we want to focus that from the point of view of the apprentices. It was good to have those people come to the committee and they had two very positive stories. It is an important message for the Department to get out that there are options for career changers in their 30s or at any age. We will certainly be looking at the issue of workers who have worked in the building trade for 35 years and then find, at age 50, it is no longer suitable for them because of the stresses and strains on their body.