Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills
The Future of STEM in Irish Education: Discussion (Resumed)
Mr. Michael Fitzgerald:
We have looked to increase the attractiveness of the apprenticeship to everybody across the spectrum of Irish society. We have done that through picking role models. When we do a recruitment campaign we promote our apprentices, including our female apprentices, as role models for their peers. Through that, we get more female applicants. That has worked very well because we have very high-quality female apprentices in the system who can then attract more applicants from among their peers. That works extremely well so we have done that. We have given them the opportunity within the media, social media, various training forums and school visits in order to promote female apprenticeships. That has worked extremely well. As I mentioned, there is a company target to take in 40% females across all roles, including apprenticeships, by 2030.
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