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

Providing training opportunities for prospective learners and career changers in County Donegal is key to ensuring the north-west regional economy has access to the talent and skills it needs to fully realise its economic and societal potential. Donegal Education and Training Board has apprentice training facilities in Gaoth Dobhair and Letterkenny. Training is provided in key skills areas such as electrical, plumbing, carpentry and joinery, metal fabrication, motor mechanics, and electronic security systems.

Since 2021, our Department has allocated over €1 million in capital investment to the Donegal Education and Training Board towards equipment and works. Workshop facilities have grown by over 40% since 2021, from seven to ten. This includes two electrical workshops and a metal fabrication workshop this year. Additional instructors have been brought in, increasing from seven in 2021 to 17 in 2024. This has enabled phase 2 training capacity to increase by 100% from 190 in 2021 to 390 this year. Capacity is expected to increase further to 420 in 2025. ATU Donegal currently provides phases 4 and 6 off-the-job electrical apprenticeship training. Capacity in ATU Donegal has grown by almost 170% from 144 in the 2022-23 academic year to 384 in the 2024-25 academic year. In the same period, the number of instructor staff has increased from five to 12.

Over the course of 2025, ATU Donegal is planning to hire a further 17 staff to expand provision for electrical and start provision for refrigeration and air conditioning, metal fabrication, industrial electrical engineering and civil engineering. As it is responsive to future skills needs, it is also working on the development of a new apprenticeship in marine engineering, while Donegal ETB is working on a new welding apprenticeship.

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