Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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208. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which any particular deficiency has been identified in regard to the number of apprentices available for location throughout the public and private sectors; the extent to which particular sectors of industry have been identified as being particularly deficient in this regard; the provisions being made to address these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28682/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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In the existing apprenticeship trades, apprentices are taken on by approved employers and the State provides off the job training according to the curriculum for the trade. The scheme is essentially demand led and employers will recruit apprentices according to their overall current and projected levels of activity.

Following its open call for proposals, the Apprenticeship Council has been working closely with proposers to develop new apprenticeships. The first of these new apprenticeships, the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship, was launched last month with further new apprenticeships to be launched later this year and early next year.

There has been very significant interest in the development of new apprenticeships, as evidenced by the receipt of 86 separate proposals.  Apprenticeship is one of a number of potential options for employers to meet the skills demand in their sectors.