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

I thank the Senator for his question on an important issue for apprentices and for my Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Senator will know that craft apprenticeships account for 25 of the existing available apprenticeship programmes. Given the practical nature of off-the-job training for craft apprentices, the Covid-related shutdown of on-site learning activity over the past two years has had a significant impact on their ability to access such training. The remaining 37 apprenticeships have not been delayed but may have had disruption to recruitment in, for example, hospitality.

While I appreciate the frustration these delays are causing, I reassure the Senator that the education and training sector is doing everything possible to ensure all waiting lists for craft apprentices are cleared as soon as possible. SOLAS, the Higher Education Authority and the education and training providers work together to deliver craft apprenticeship off-the-job training places and have worked closely to change how training is delivered.

The apprenticeships with the longest waiting lists, namely, electrical, plumbing and carpentry, have seen significant reform measures.These changes are now running through the system, with more apprentices being called for their off-the-job training than before. In addition, classes that had been running at half capacity due to Covid-19 distancing measures are now back at full intake of 14 to 16 apprentices per phase.

An amount of €20 million in capital funding was provided in 2020 to extend and upgrade craft apprenticeship facilities across the further and higher education institutions. Some €17 million of additional funding was provided under budget 2022 to facilitate the response to the backlogs across SOLAS and the higher education sector. This included a significant recruitment campaign to increase the number of trainers. The delivery structures for phase 2 off-the-job training have been changed to facilitate a third intake of apprentices per annum and an opt-in rapid employer assessment is being piloted for the final phase of craft apprenticeships.

At the end of December, 8,797 craft apprentices were waiting for access to phases 2, 4 and 6 off-the-job training. This is down from the 12,000 apprentices that were on the list last August. Subject to continuing access to workshops and training facilities, and in addition to the roll-out of more places, it is expected that the majority of craft apprentices waiting for off-the-job training at phases 4 and 6 will be called in the early months of this year. It is expected that the phase 2 waiting list will be completely cleared by the end of the year.