Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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I thank everybody appearing before the committee. My first question relates to apprenticeships. This is an area I am interested in. A total of 25% of the participants or of people taking up apprenticeships are female in the first year. That is certainly to be commended but is there any plan to increase this figure further and how can that be achieved?

My next question then relates to our witnesses' engagement with secondary schools. I understand that the ESB has visited 55 seconds schools in 24 counties. How can the ESB promote apprenticeships further? I also ask how its engagement with the 55 seconds schools went? Did the ESB feel that there was a change in mindset from the focus on academic subjects to a more open and positive culture towards apprenticeships within those secondary schools? Were ESB staff in discussion with career guidance teachers as part of its campaign to promote apprenticeships in that manner when they visited secondary schools?