Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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163. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to promote apprenticeships. [18561/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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A campaign to promote apprenticeship is currently being developed by SOLAS in consultation with key partners including the Apprenticeship Council. The campaign will raise awareness and promote the value of apprenticeship for individual apprentices and for employers and it will cover both existing apprenticeships and the new apprenticeships now coming on stream.

This Government has committed to doubling the number of apprenticeship places. In addition to rising numbers entering apprenticeships in the existing trades, the Apprenticeship Council is overseeing the expansion of the apprenticeship system into a range of new areas, following a call for proposals from employers and education and training providers. 25 proposals have been prioritised by the Council for development, with employers on a number of these new apprenticeships planning to recruit in 2016. The Council is working with partners to ensure that information on these new opportunities across a range of sectors and at a range of levels of the National Framework of Qualifications is made available as widely as possible.