Mr. Ben Friel:

It is 100% a massive bar. Prior to coming before the committee we did our research and spoke to loads of apprentices. The main thing we were told about is the dropout rate. The people we spoke to knew many apprentices who dropped out in the first year because they could not afford the tools and were expected to pay big upfront costs. Deputy Murphy is 100% right that it is the low pay along with the fees and the price of tools. We are creating many barriers to entry. Payment of the national minimum wage is a must.

When we consider the profile of apprentices, they are getting older. Fundamentally, they are people with families. If we are looking to retrain our workforce, whether due to the rise of artificial intelligence or people taking up more careers than they did in years gone by, it is very important we recognise that not everyone has the bank of mum and dad to tap into and not everyone is an 18-year-old who can turn around and ask for support. Even among those who are 18 and 19, not everyone has that support. It creates massive inequalities and it is very important that we do everything we can to address it.