Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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525. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on a matter (details supplied) regarding trades; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25944/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority, has statutory responsibility for the Apprenticeship system in Ireland. The Apprenticeship system is employer led and the number of craft apprentices registered with SOLAS is determined by individual employers recruiting potential apprentices within a broad range of occupational sectors.

At the end of 2014, apprentice registrations to the existing 27 trades were up 40% on the same point in 2013. The trend is continuing this year and the most recent apprenticeship forecasts anticipate that these growth trends will continue generally until 2018.

Education and Training Board Training Advisers visit schools and attend career fairs to promote this avenue of learning to students. On a regular basis they visit schools and talk with young people on what is involved and the benefits of becoming a qualified craftsperson and they are also are available to meet with Career Guidance Counsellors.

It should also be noted that as part of the Government's Action Plan for Jobs initiative in 2013, an independent group was established to carry out a review of the Irish Apprenticeship system to determine whether the current model should be retained, adapted or replaced. The subsequent report of the Review Group made a wide number of recommendations regarding the reform of existing apprenticeships and the extension of the apprenticeship model into new enterprise areas. An Apprenticeship Implementation Plan was published in June 2014 in that regard.

A new industry-led Apprenticeship Council was appointed in November 2014 and is made up of a wide variety of stakeholders. In January 2015, the Apprenticeship Council formally invited proposals for new apprenticeship programmes from consortia of enterprise, professional bodies and education and training providers.

Over 80 separate proposals were received by the deadline. The proposals have been assessed by the Apprenticeship Council against a range of sustainability and deliverability criteria and recommendations are being submitted to me this week. It is expected that this process will result in a number of new apprenticeships becoming available, which will further enhance the opportunities available in this important area of work based learning.