Dr. Mary-Liz Trant:

Yes, we are at an advanced stage in developing the portal and we are due to pilot it with a group of employers next month. The approach will be that employers will post vacancies on apprenticeship.ie, on which we will build a one-stop shop for all information. Apprentices will then access the information with visibility. The Deputy made the point that if one does not have a network or contacts, if he or she does not know somebody who is taking on apprentices or who is in the family, it could be hard to see where the opportunities are. The idea is that with the portal we will expand the access.

In a practical way, it will also contribute to the overall awareness. Where employers are advertising vacancies, word of mouth may lead others to take on apprentices, that is, in a local or regional area employers may say: "We are taking on apprentices. Why are you not?" We expect the portal to roll out fully early in the new year and we hope it will be a positive contribution to the entire project.