Paul Daly (Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I welcome the witnesses from ETBI and SOLAS this morning. I have two questions I would like a comment on. Recently, there has been a lot of commentary about delays in off-the-job training because of funding and the breakdown there. The witnesses might comment on that, where it is at and where it is going. I read an article about it recently.

The second question might be broader and I ask this very much as a layman. How is an apprenticeship decided on? We are in an era where there is constant change. New trades, systems and concepts are evolving. In particular, I am thinking of how there was block laying and plastering in my day. It is probably 3D printing now. When and how are apprenticeships moved from being a block layer to a 3D printer. How is it done when it is a new concept? How is a trainer even recruited? How many people need to have an interest in an initial concept or trade before it would be viable or feasible to run that apprenticeship for them? Someone has to be the first. It has to start somewhere.

I am intrigued to know who is the trainer in that scenario, when it is a whole new concept. How can the trainer be trusted to be the trainer because nobody knows anything about a new concept? However, if we do not do it there and then, we are left behind. I am intrigued to know how new apprenticeships are identified to become an apprenticeship, how they are formulated, who initially trains and how trainers are recruited in those scenarios. There are four minutes to answer that and it will probably take it.