Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I will make a couple of comments on apprenticeships. The committee will be well aware that we launched the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021 to 2025 earlier in the year and it has a number of high-level targets in it to increase the number of new apprenticeship registrations up to 10,000 per annum by the year 2025. Within that also is a reorganisation of the apprenticeship space. We are establishing, as the Deputy will be aware, the national apprenticeship office. An interim director has been appointed in that position and that person will take up that role in the next number of weeks before Christmas. That office will then be supported by what is called the national apprenticeship alliance, which will be a stakeholder forum to support the office in its work. The national apprenticeship office will oversee the entire national apprenticeship landscape. We have approximately 62 formalised apprenticeships on the books. These are the traditional craft apprenticeships of approximately 25 in number. In addition, the remaining apprenticeships are described or categorised as a consortium of post-2016 apprenticeships, many of which are in new areas such as financial services, insurance, accounting technicians, and other areas of industry and society. There are approximately 20 more apprenticeships in development at the moment. Further to all of that, there are approximately 18 or 19 expressions of interest of bubble groups, which are also seeking to advance apprenticeships. These are not in development but are expressions of interest.

The national apprenticeship office will co-ordinate and oversee all aspects of apprenticeships, once it is established. There is also money in next year’s budget to support employers who take apprentices on. Equally, at the moment, the funding goes primarily to the craft apprenticeships to support employers for the period that their apprentices are off the job and in training. There is a great deal going on in that space.

We also have Springboard courses right across the area of skills, with many courses going on in our further and higher education institutions through the provision of Springboard funding. This is an advanced skill system to provide for lifelong learning and human capital developments.

The Deputy also mentioned people with disabilities. Within our action plan for apprenticeships, there are some key targets to promote more gender balance and diversification. We also have equality measures through a bursary for disadvantaged people in the apprenticeship area. There is much going on in that regard and we can certainly send some of that information on to her after the meeting. I thank the Chairman.