Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There were 3,011 apprentices enrolled in Cork Education and Training Board, ETB, across a large range, including plumbing and electrical, wind-turbine maintenance and insurance practitioner.

A key strength of the apprenticeship model is that it is a demand-led approach to meeting workforce and skill requirements in our economy and country. As apprentices are employees, the demand for and number of apprentices is primarily dictated by employers in any area or sector. Having 3,011 enrolled in Cork is very significant given the overall national figure and I pay tribute to Cork ETB. I was in Bishopstown recently for the opening of a new retrofitting centre. It is a very progressive ETB that works very proactively to develop pathways.

We continue to work through the Action Plan for Apprenticeship, 2021 to 2025 to achieve a national target of 10,000 annual registrations by 2025. The positive impacts of the plan includes increased supports to employers. For the first time, we are providing financial assistance of some sort to every employer who takes on an apprentice. The principal aim is to encourage more small and medium businesses in Cork and elsewhere to be able to take on people.

There are now 67 national apprenticeship programmes, of which 25 are craft programmes and 42 are new consortia-led apprenticeships. This shows there are huge opportunities now, be it in crafts, trades, plumbing, electrical and carpentry but also now in ICT, retail and biopharmaceuticals. Many of the new programmes have off-the-job training delivered through online or blended training. There are, therefore, a huge number of opportunities for people to take up apprenticeship opportunities across a wide range of areas regardless of their interests. Again, I want to express my thanks to Cork ETB for its work in this area.

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