Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh ár n-aíonna. I wish to spend the few minutes I have asking the witnesses about three issues, namely, the shortage of skills we have to deal and contend with, the question of how we build the prestige around apprenticeship, and the issue of gender.

On the question of the shortage of skills, I am getting a picture that it is about trying to get people who are preparing for working life to think in terms of apprenticeship but also the vital work of providing ongoing training to people within the workforce to allow them to move or develop, as the case may be. Will the witnesses give us some numbers to demonstrate how acute the shortage of skills in our economy is and to give examples of areas?

The second issue is that it is clear that there is a need to build the prestige around the notion of apprenticeship and to get people thinking and to make it part of higher education so that people have pathways and so on. I am always very struck by the tradition of the journeymen apprentices that you would come across in other countries. At the start of their careers they have elaborate costumes and there is a great pride in their professions. Is this something that could be part of the necessary building up of the identity around apprenticeship for particular trades? Is it something from which we could learn?

The third question concerns gender. One of the aims of the reform of the apprenticeship model is to encourage more female apprentices. Certainly, there is a huge disparity in areas like construction. I believe that, currently, 5% of our apprentice cohort are female. Does that mean there are particular barriers that need to be addressed, or is the desire to encourage more females into apprenticeship in pursuit of something else? Is there another reason? Is it about filling gaps in the market, drawing people from one sector of the economy to work in the other, or is there another reason? The "why" is as important as the "what" in all of this.