Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I was alluding to the oversight group which comprised SOLAS, ETBs and SIPTU. Revised emergency curriculum and assessments, which will be 18 months long rather than the existing 12-week programme, will be delivered in a blended approach. Three technical teams are being put in place to devise an emergency curriculum over the coming weeks, and it is intended to pilot elements of the approach in August for full roll-out in September and across 2022. The objective is to train an additional 50% of apprentices in the three largest programmes annually.

The Deputy mentioned phases 4 and 6, which are our institutes of technology and technological universities. A substantial portion of the initial additional capacity being developed for those phases will come on stream in September. Subject to final confirmation, it is intended to facilitate all phase 6 electrical and plumbing apprentices delayed by nine months or more for training in September. In addition, it is expected the vast majority of the equivalent phase 4 apprentices waiting nine months-plus will be scheduled at that point. We will send the Deputy the remainder of the reply to give her the update on that.

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