David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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6. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 33 of 26 March 2015, the number of persons currently undertaking apprenticeships, and the sectors in which they are training; the interest from employers and education providers in the call for new apprenticeships, since it issued in January 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18398/15]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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How many people are currently training as apprentices and what plans are there for apprenticeships in the future? Would the Minister of State agree that we need a major expansion in both the number of apprenticeships and the areas covered by them?

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I agree we need to expand the areas covered and believe there is cross-party support for that. This is something we have been involved in with the setting up of the new apprenticeship council. Expansion is part of the Government's plan and we have addressed the issue at Cabinet, where there is agreement across the table that this should happen and that we should increase the number of apprenticeships on offer.

At 30 April 2015, there was a total of 7,398 apprentices actively engaged with the apprenticeship system. There were 1,521 in the construction sector, 2,724 in the electrical sector, 1,340 in the engineering sector, 1,792 in the motor sector and 21 in the printing sector. These figures represent an approximately 40% increase on the registrations since 2013. Numbers are up in existing apprenticeships, a positive development, and we expect these numbers to continue rising over the next three years to 2018.

In regard to new types of apprenticeship, the Apprenticeship Council of Ireland was set up last September-October and it called for proposals from the public in January this year. The council received 86 separate proposals for new apprenticeships from 48 organisations before the 31 March deadline. This is a competitive process, but there has been a very strong response and submissions which will lead to qualifications at a range of levels were received from a wide range of sectors. There was a particularly strong interest from the manufacturing and engineering sector, accounting for 24 submissions. A substantial number of proposals were also received from areas such as the built environment, tourism and sport and financial services.

The council is currently in the process of evaluating submissions and it is required to report to the Department by 30 June. We have a strong belief that we need to provide young people with a broad range of education and training options which give them fulfilment and prepare them for work and for life. The idea behind apprenticeships is that people are provided with a blend of education and on and off the job training. However, these apprenticeships must be employer led and driven. We look forward to making significant progress in expanding the range of apprenticeships available in Ireland over the coming months and in 2016. The Deputy may rest assured that it is our full intention to move forward on this.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister of State indicate his targets in respect to the number of apprentices he would like to see involved in the various areas eventually? What are the targets? What capacity is there for dealing with the level of applications? In other words, how many have applied for each apprenticeship and how many have been facilitated? Am I correct that the number of applicants far exceeds the capacity to facilitate them? Will the Minister of State also comment on the perception that there is significant emphasis on directing young people into third level? Are there any plans to try to rebalance that, because third level is not for everybody?

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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I will begin with the last question. I agree there is too much emphasis on third level and during the boom years or over the past 20 years we have probably turned our backs on the further education and training sector. I sense that most people recognise now we must correct that and the Department is trying to do so. From talking to career guidance teachers, to teachers in general and to employers, I believe most people now believe we need a blend of further education and training along with higher education. We need that blend to manage the problem with the skills gap as we know jobs are being created that we cannot fill. They will only be filled by providing the skills through a combination of higher education and further education and training. We are trying to correct the situation and have a five-year plan, developed by SOLAS, which should address the issue. There has been significant reform in the sector and SOLAS and our educational training boards, ETBs, are driving that agenda.

The challenge facing us is to convince parents, decision makers and students that there are options and many different routes to developing a career and obtaining the qualifications needed.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister of State comment on the Department's targets? What numbers would it like to see in apprenticeships? Will he also comment on the level of interest and the capacity to facilitate those interested? What is the State's role in providing apprenticeships and what is it doing?

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Apprenticeships must be employer driven and employers must be involved. On capacity, it is a bit of a chicken and egg situation. We needed to find out what was wanted and needed and we put significant effort, through various Departments such as the Departments of Education and Skills and Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, into getting people interested in this issue and to get people to make proposals. We have those proposals now and the apprenticeship council must assess which of the 86 submissions are viable and needed. The council will make recommendations on which and how many proposals should result in full apprenticeships and may make recommendations that some are suited to a different route, such as a traineeship.

When we receive the report in June, we must assess what is required to make this happen. Many of the proposals will be acted on this year or next. No curriculum for them has been developed yet as they are still proposals. The apprenticeship council, SOLAS and the Department will assess how many can be implemented. The Deputy asked what was our target, but we do not have a specific target in each area. We know that in sectors such as haulage, there is a requirement for approximately 1,000 extra drivers per year over the next four or five years. This has been assessed by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. We must decide how many of these positions should be filled through apprenticeships.

SOLAS will monitor the numbers required in all sectors and we will not repeat what happened previously, where there were far too many apprenticeships in some sectors, leaving people high and dry when the crash came. The situation will be managed nationally by SOLAS, which will work with the ETBs, institutes of technology and other providers to get the numbers right. We are trying to respond to the need, but first we needed to get the proposals and examine them to see what is needed. We may require legislation for this, but we will certainly require extra resources. We must find the way to make that happen and intend to do that.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I fully support the initiative the Department is undertaking in regard to apprenticeships, which I believe are a key economic driver now and for the future. We need to learn from the past situation where we tailored our apprenticeships for the here and now, for example, for construction. When the construction area blew up, we ended up with people without skills in other areas. We need to factor this into decisions in regard to apprenticeships. SOLAS will play a key role and it is already developing an apprenticeship model for the hotel sector which will be rolled out in the last quarter of this year. We need to diversify our apprenticeship models and keep in mind future trends and ensure people are skilled so that when there is a crash in one sector, they will be able to sidestep into a different profession quickly and easily.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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That is what we are trying to do. We are trying to cater for now and for the future. Some of the sectors that have made proposals are the hotel and catering sector and manufacturing and engineering, with 24 submissions. There were 12 submissions in the built environment area, ten in tourism, ten in financial services, eight in arts, crafts and media, six in information technology, six in transport logistics, four in business administration management, three in the agriculture, horticulture and marine sector, two in natural resources and one in sales and marketing.

As I said, the process is competitive and not all of the proposals will win through. Some will be found not fit for purpose in the assessment process which is taking place currently. SOLAS has a major role to play here, working with the apprenticeship council, to ensure we get right an estimate of the number of apprenticeships we need. We cannot allow an over supply of the skills required, but there is an under supply currently. SOLAS must work with employers to ensure there is a proper blend of on the job training and education and to ensure apprenticeships are adaptable to circumstances. They may be from two to four years and involve different levels of education. It must ensure the apprenticeship model is strong and the balance is right and that if a sector hits a low point, the apprentice's skills will be transferable to another sector.