Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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47. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the initiatives he will implement to increase the uptake of apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22541/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government commits to providing 50,000 apprenticeship and traineeship places up to 2020. SOLAS and the Apprenticeship Council are preparing a detailed 3 year plan to deliver on this commitment, which will include managing the pipeline of new apprenticeships and setting out the timing and nature of new calls for proposals. This plan will be published shortly and will set out specific annual targets as well as bringing forward a range of specific actions to enable and support the development of new apprenticeships and traineeships.

Currently 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.

The Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship, the first of the new programmes developed through the Apprenticeship Council’s call for proposals, launched in September. This will be followed by the Industrial Engineer Apprenticeship due to launch this month. Further new apprenticeships are scheduled to launch later this year/early next year in various sectors including medical devices, polymer processing and financial services.

As the Deputy will be aware, the route to an apprenticeship is through gaining employment with an approved employer. 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.