Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I pretty much agree. I have used the term that apprenticeships are no longer sexy. People feel that they have to go to university. The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, has done an enormous amount on the technological universities. Another piece is required, which is the investment into the apprenticeship side of the technological universities. We have visited the institutions in Limerick and Cork, and we are due to visit Waterford. The strong message that comes is that Government investment that is needed into the apprenticeship side of those facilities. Many of them were built in the 1970s and have not been updated. This committee has pressed the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science on the matter and will continue to do so on behalf of the technological universities.

We have done that piece on the technological universities, but there is another part of the jigsaw, which is investment into apprenticeships. Unless the Government invests in apprenticeship schemes, we will not make apprenticeships attractive for students. Apprentices are now coming out earning much more money. In some cases, people have done two or three years in third level education at a university or whatever - no disrespect to them. There are great opportunities for young people but we need to improve the way apprenticeships are sold and packaged to them.