Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)

Ms Costello stated that the most significant issue around the continued expansion of apprenticeships is adequate funding. Obviously, there is not adequate funding at the moment. What is being invested currently in the system and what level of funding would be adequate? What sort of increase would we need?

Ms Costello referred to properly resourcing the system to prevent any further backlogs. What kind of backlogs is she talking about? I am aware that during Covid there was a huge backlog with off-the-job training. I believe that has been addressed. Having said that, and this relates to something the witnesses touched on already, I had a nephew doing an apprenticeship which was affected by that because he was waiting for ages to get his off-the-job training. However, he said when he did receive that training, much of it was stuff he had learned in school and was not necessary. The whole programme needs to be updated, assessed and perhaps, as was said, narrowed and streamlined, without affecting the quality.

My next point is related to some of the previous questions. Ms Costello and Mr. McGibney both pointed out that we need an ability to respond quickly to emerging market needs and changes to what is happening in the market. Is there a mechanism or a process for keeping on top of that in how new apprenticeship programmes are developed?

I want to raise another matter. I sat on the disability committee during the previous term. We know the employment rate among disabled people is this country is way below the European average. Representatives from SOLAS appeared before the committee and one of the things they pointed out was that there was quite a low rate of participation by disabled people. Part of the problem identified was employer attitudes to disability. How can we best address that so that disabled people could either be employment ready or be taken on for apprenticeships?