Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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10. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the apprenticeship waiting lists; the number of apprentices who are waiting for off-the-job training; and the number who have been waiting for over a year. [36803/21]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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I wish to inquire as to the status of the apprenticeship waiting list as they are now. What is the number of apprentices who are waiting for off-the-job training and the number of apprentices who have been waiting for more than a year? In March of this year, after the beginning of the pandemic there were 6,928 apprentices on a waiting list to access off-the-job training. By May, that figure had increased to more than 9,000. Some of the apprentices I have spoken to feel abandoned and that apprenticeships are being talked about into the future, but this is happening to them right here right now.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for her question. I assure the Deputy and apprentices that apprentices are not being abandoned and that it is a matter that we are acutely aware of. Craft apprenticeships account for 25 of the 61 existing available apprenticeship programmes. Off-the-job training for these programmes is delivered in training centres or institutes of technology and technological universities. These were the programmes most impacted by the shutdown of on-site learning activity in 2020 and 2021. Given the practical nature of apprenticeships, training centres and workshops were closed for the nine out of the last 12 months. Figures from the end of May indicate that more than 10,000 apprentices were waiting for access to phases 2, 4 and 6 of off-the-job training. Of these, 3,500 craft apprentices have been waiting for more than 12 months. Craft apprentices were prioritised for a return to on-site learning on 8 March 2021. Delivery of off-the-job phases is proceeding and will continue over the summer, subject to public health advice, with restricted numbers. This approach will assist institutions and providers in preparing and organising the safe return of larger numbers in the autumn. The Government has committed to a significant increase in on-site attendance in the tertiary education sector in the next academic year following consultations with the sectoral stakeholders.

Following the Government’s approval, we published a safe return plan to on-site further and higher education for 2021 and 2022. The plan reflects the essential nature of further and higher education and training, including apprenticeships. It provides for comprehensive on-site activity for the next academic year with almost full-scale activities on site. To support the plan, the sector has developed a pack of actions and commitments to ensure a return is safe, with the specific reference made to the backlogs. Under this pack, institutions and providers have committed to addressing backlogs and deferring learning outcomes. Similarly, stakeholder bodies have committed to engaging with institutes and providers to achieve significant increases to on-site teaching and learning and assessment.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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Is the Minister of State really telling me that the situation is worse than it was in May? We are now at the level of 10,000 apprentices waiting for phases 2, 4 and 6. I am quite shocked at that. I understand the Minister of State said that things will be fixed in the autumn, but this is like saying we will all have jam tomorrow. While I know there is not enough time here today, I would like to see a very detailed plan for the autumn in that regard. This has serious implications for their education and income. Through no fault of their own, many apprentices will be trapped on apprentice wages for years longer than they should be, despite the amazing efforts of administrators and teaching staff across the country. Apprentices are being let down and we need to address this. I am quite shocked at those figures. I have been in contact with numerous apprentices who have been unable to access the off-the-job training to complete and advance their apprenticeships. It is quite shocking that the here and now is not being dealt with.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I reiterate that nobody is being abandoned. What is being done to rectify the issue? To date, €2 million has been allocated in capital expenditure to SOLAS and the Higher Education Authority to facilitate 4,000 additional craft apprenticeship places across the system. This is in addition to €12 million already allocated to support additional classes and teaching capacity to ameliorate the Covid-19 measures. Spaces arising from these measures will begin to come on stream in the second half of this year. There will be provisions for on-site presence for apprentices during the summer months. Appropriate protective measures will be put in place and numbers on site will be controlled.

An oversight group is now in place, comprising SOLAS, the ETBs and SIPTU representatives. The group is overseeing the development of an emergency approach to training for the three programmes with the longest waiting lists, which are electrical, plumbing-----

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State. He will get a chance to come back in.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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What are the targets for September in terms of what will be done over the summer? This week I was contacted by a young man from Mayo working as an apprentice plumber. He has not been able to access the phase 4 training in his apprenticeship. This means he will possibly be stuck on apprenticeship wages longer than the four years it should take. No other cohort of students are treated in this way and apprentices should not be undervalued. It gives completely the wrong message. We want to attract people to apprenticeships, to do all-Ireland apprenticeships, and to create equity and parity in apprenticeships, and the way we are dealing with this is not good enough. What are the Department's targets for September? What will that 10,000 look like then? What will it look like in October? Apprentices need assurance here and now. They need to get on with their lives, learning, training and earning. We need to facilitate them in that with equity and fairness.

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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I was alluding to the oversight group which comprised SOLAS, ETBs and SIPTU. Revised emergency curriculum and assessments, which will be 18 months long rather than the existing 12-week programme, will be delivered in a blended approach. Three technical teams are being put in place to devise an emergency curriculum over the coming weeks, and it is intended to pilot elements of the approach in August for full roll-out in September and across 2022. The objective is to train an additional 50% of apprentices in the three largest programmes annually.

The Deputy mentioned phases 4 and 6, which are our institutes of technology and technological universities. A substantial portion of the initial additional capacity being developed for those phases will come on stream in September. Subject to final confirmation, it is intended to facilitate all phase 6 electrical and plumbing apprentices delayed by nine months or more for training in September. In addition, it is expected the vast majority of the equivalent phase 4 apprentices waiting nine months-plus will be scheduled at that point. We will send the Deputy the remainder of the reply to give her the update on that.