Ms Meadhbh Costello:

The new national action plan for apprenticeship sets out an objective of developing a single model for apprenticeships, which would bring together craft and consortia into one model. The intention is that this would move towards a consortia-led model. One of the biggest differences for employers in their level of engagement with apprenticeships between the two models is the cost, particularly the cost of off-the-job training, which must be carried by consortia-led employers but not by craft employers. If we want to bring the two models together, that is the funding gap that must be addressed. Some of the research we have done recently suggests that this cost is approximately €7,000 to €8,000 for a consortia-led apprenticeship training. Our suggestion relates to closing that gap and developing a single model for apprenticeships. That is the approximate level of funding that would be needed to address that piece of training. There are additional costs faced by consortia-led apprenticeships, particularly with regard to things like mentorship, backfilling positions, subsistence, technological investment and so on, and that must be borne in mind. This is a challenge for SMEs in particular, which do not have the capacity of larger companies, especially when it comes to HR, which would manage a lot of these functions. That is why we need to focus on closing the gap as part of this new apprenticeship model.