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

I thank the Deputy. There has been a high demand from employers and learners alike for craft apprenticeship in recent years, reflecting a strong construction sector and the Government's commitment to the targets within Housing for All and the climate action plan, and to the delivery of the national development plan. Craft apprentice registrations increased by 25% from 2019 to 2023. As a result of the urgent work my Department initiated in November 2023 to increase craft training capacity, the number of training places has increased from 5,600 in 2019 to over 7,500 currently, which is a 34% increase. The National Apprenticeship Office's recruitment campaign for additional apprentice instructors, which was launched in November 2023, has been an important pillar of this plan. The Department sanctioned 134 instructor posts in support of this campaign. We are very pleased to report that over 87 posts have been filled nationally, with three more offers in progress. They will deliver courses across 11 craft apprenticeships in the four industry families, which are construction, electrical, engineering and motor, along with and one of the consortia-led programmes. We will provide the Deputy with a detailed breakdown table in that regard.

Further posts will also be advertised throughout the remainder of 2024 and into 2025. In addition, to support retention in the apprenticeship workforce my Department also converted 80 apprenticeship instructor posts from fixed term to permanent. The recent announcement of €77.4 million investment for apprenticeship in budget 2025 is the single largest core investment in apprenticeship since the formation of our Department in July 2020. This funding will be important to support the educators who will equip young people, career changers and those returning to update or improve their skills with the knowledge and know-how that employers are looking for.

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