Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. We cannot make Covid, or its impacts, disappear. I am not suggesting the Deputy is saying that but we cannot do that. Unfortunately, Covid has had impacts across all aspects of activity and lives.

That said, we had a record 8,607 apprentice registrations in 2021. We are well on the way to ensuring that our 2025 target of 10,000 registrations per annum is very much realisable. Registrations in 2021 show an increase of nearly 40% compared with 2019. There is real traction here. Craft apprentice registrations have experienced a marked increased in interest over the past four years. The increasing recognition of the value of these employment options means that strong registrations are continuing, with more apprentices coming through the system for placement on all phases of their training.

As of Monday, 2 May, there have been 2,056 registrations this year, comprising 1,794 craft and 262 new consortia-led apprenticeships. The total apprentice population as of last Monday is 23,981. I can go through all of the funding that is provided. The grant scheme of €2,000 for employers of apprentices on consortia-led programmes has worked.

On the backlog, a number of agreed reform measures are being implemented to try to clear waiting lists. These include changed delivery structures for phase 2 off-the-job training in the three programmes with the largest waiting lists, namely, electrical, plumbing and carpentry and joinery apprenticeships, in order to facilitate a third intake of apprentices per annum. An opt-in rapid employer assessment at phase 7 on the job was completed for apprentices who had finalised phase 6 and spent more than four years in their apprenticeships.

More than 8,400 apprentices, or over 70% of those who were delayed in their training by Covid-19, have now progressed in their off-the-job training. This includes over 700 final year apprentices who have been fast-tracked to complete their qualifications. The backlog is tackled in order of those apprentices who have been waiting the longest. Over 700 apprentices who are in the final stages of their apprenticeships were supported to complete an accelerated final phase of workplace training and are now receiving their qualification.

As of the end of March, significant numbers of apprentices, over 7,000, were still waiting to access phases 2, 4 and 6. I do not in any way understate the issue here. Phase 4 lists have decreased significantly since January. It is expected that craft apprentices waiting for off-the-job training for phases 4 and 6 are on target to be cleared by mid-end of 2022. The majority of phase 2 waiting lists are targeted to be cleared by the year end of 2022.

The CAO website opened the system for the first time for apprentices on 5 November. The number of visits to apprenticeship.iedirectly from the CAO options page is up to 28,201.

Generally, I am open to see what more we can do to accelerate programmes without diluting too much their quality.

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