James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

This is a really important question. We are bringing forward a successor apprenticeship action plan. We are also looking at an integrated apprenticeship model, something I will be canvassing with stakeholders at the labour economic forum shortly. I have already met the unions and others in the relevant space and that is something we will continue to engage on. We are undertaking a review of the current action plan for apprenticeships and looking at a new five-year strategy that will guide the system from 2026 onwards. One of the priorities is to continue to strengthen the system to meet the skills needs of industry and adapt to workforce challenges.

It is only fair to put on the record that apprenticeship funding has grown significantly. We provided an additional €77 million in funding for apprenticeships alone in budget 2025, bringing the total to €339 million, which is an 84% increase since 2020. This morning, the Minister for Education and Youth, Deputy McEntee, and I brought an education indicators report to Cabinet that showed that the number of apprentices in the system had grown by one third between 2022 and 2023. We have seen really significant progress in the apprenticeship field in terms of people entering, the course options available, and the funding being provided. We have seen positive progress across the board.

There are some very new and interesting programmes, such as civil engineering, wind turbine maintenance, digital marketing, cybersecurity, software development and town planning. A number of areas have been identified as suitable for the apprenticeship model and are being expanded and rolled out through the consortia-type method. There is a positive broadening of the spectrum of apprenticeships, bringing in new and emerging skills and methods. It is a commendable way of training.

We support employers with training costs. There is a €2,000 consortia-led employer grant for the cost of taking on an apprentice because there are costs involved. I have met employers who have expressed concerns about costs. In the same way that apprentices themselves and their spokespersons raise issues about costs, employers do so, too, and it needs both to make the system work. The goal across the Government is to have 12,500 new apprenticeship registrations by 2030. That will be the central focus of the new action plan.

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