Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for the leadership he showed this country in the early days of Covid. He provided a lot of calmness to the situation that we faced as a nation, and while we did not get everything right, I thank him for the work he put in during that time.

I will address the Minister on the important matter of apprenticeship schemes.Apprenticeships can provide employment to people and skills to the economy which is of the utmost importance now more than ever with the challenges of rising unemployment due to the Covid-19 restrictions.

I welcome that the Minister is making apprenticeships a priority. However, there is more that can be done. I respectfully request that the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, with the stroke of a pen introduce funding for local authorities to provide apprenticeships, employment, hope and opportunities for people. We must lead by example. Apprenticeships are an excellent way of learning, earning and getting into permanent paid employment. There are a large number of apprenticeships available in a range of industries across Ireland. Apprenticeships are an invaluable way for people to ground their learning in a practical experience of a real job. Research highlights the role that apprenticeships can play in helping to tackle youth unemployment and the significant benefits they can provide for those young people who are most likely to leave school at an early age and subsequently struggle to find employment.

Apprenticeships have contributed to the development of many companies and industries throughout Ireland. There are 54 national apprenticeship programmes operational across Ireland, with a further 23 launching during the course of this year. There are over 18,000 apprentices completing training in Ireland, with even more growth envisaged throughout the course of the next few years. I am thrilled to note that the Minister has made apprenticeships a key priority for this Government and has already launched a consultation process on the next national plan for apprenticeships. Of particular importance in this process is the way in which we increase participation in apprenticeships, especially the ways in which we create a more diverse and gender-balanced apprenticeship population. Equality of opportunity in regard to participation in apprenticeship schemes is a laudable objective.

I welcome the apprenticeship incentivisation scheme under which the Government will pay businesses and employers up to €3,000 for taking on apprenticeships. It is great to see the Government acknowledging the key part that apprenticeships will play in the country's recovery and in the country's future. However, I have a concern, which falls close to home as a former county councillor of many years. A consortium of industries and education partners are heavily involved in the successful provision of apprenticeships, yet there is no apprenticeship opportunities within local government. Local government is an ideal workplace in which we can provide a programme for structured education and training and where better for young apprentices to learn about politics, law, society and much more. Many local authorities will have previously engaged with promoting apprenticeships, so why not lead by example? There is no shortage of people who are interested in such apprenticeships. Working within such a broad sector as local government will allow so many to operate in varied working environments and develop countless different skills. This proposal needs to be addressed during the Minister's consultation process and implemented as soon as possible.

Local government apprenticeships and public service apprenticeships are a vital next step for reinvigorating the apprenticeship model. By expanding apprenticeships into new fields we ensure that education through apprenticeships remains a successful avenue for people young and old and an exciting way for employers of all types to develop talent for their industries. We have 31 local authorities in this country. With the stroke of a pen the Minister, Deputy Harris, and the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, could guarantee 30 apprenticeships to those bodies. We could create 930 apprenticeship programmes in this country. I appeal to the Minister to lead by example.