Mr. Pat Stokes:

A lot of the work done involves workshops and outreach. This means going to the Traveller projects, Youthreach and youth services. Reference was made to some Travellers leaving school before completing their education. Some who have done their junior certificate might have passed only two or three subjects but they require five passes for an apprenticeship. When they go into Youthreach, they get qualifications at QQI level 3 or 4, which puts them in a position that leads to an apprenticeship. Between last year and this year, we have run 61 workshops, as well as employer expos. The best thing about the pre-apprenticeship course is that, although short, at just 12 weeks, it gives a taste of many different subjects. We had two Travellers who intended to do carpentry in TUS Athlone, but when they came out of the programme they wanted to be electricians. They realised they did not want to do carpentry. TU Dublin, I hope, is going to open an apprenticeship course is January. There is a good uptake. While the course is also short, at three months, the university gets the employers on board. It gets local employers to come in. It hosts an event like a speed-dating event in which the employers do quick interviews with the participants. In the past two years, including in Limerick and Athlone, about 70% of participants have been getting employers.