Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not disagree with the Deputy on the need for a much better and bigger job to be done on the central and public advertising of apprenticeship opportunities. That is part of the cultural shift that needs to take place. We have set up a National Apprenticeship Alliance and its job is to look at all of these areas. Now we as a State are providing financial incentives to all apprentice employers in the country, it is not unreasonable that in return we ask for things in terms of how these are advertised. That is a route I intend to pursue. However, I would not like, and I know the Deputy would not either, for a small number of advertisements on a website to suggest a lack of progress because we obviously saw the highest number of new apprentices ever registered last year, namely, 8,607. We had set a target of getting to 10,000 by 2025 and I am quite encouraged we are going to beat that target and get there earlier. We now have 65 apprenticeship programmes with 16 more being developed. We have a new national apprenticeship office being established with the TUs rolling out access to apprenticeship programmes and we have the changes to the CAO. However, I agree with the Deputy and will revert to him on this.

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