Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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382. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for training of apprenticeships for trades, in view of the urgent need for certain skills to build houses in the next number of months and years; his views on recent developments; his plans for apprenticeship training for trades; and the funding he will allocate for training apprenticeships for trades in each of the years 2017 to 2021, in tabular form. [41488/16]

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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383. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans regarding training for apprenticeships for trades, given the fact all these skills will be urgently required in view of the houses that need to be built in the next number of months and years; his views on any recent developments; his plans with respect to apprenticeships training for trades plans; the level of funding allocated each year for 2017 to 2021 for the area of training apprenticeships for trades, in tabular form; the number of apprentices he envisages will be delivered in each of the years 2017 to 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41489/16]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 382 and 383 together.

The forecast apprentice registrations in the 27 craft trades is set out in the attached table.

SOLAS has informed me that the forecast for future apprenticeship registrations is strong and the number of apprentices registered by employers in 2016 was almost 20% higher than in 2015. This increase in apprentice registration is primarily being driven by employers in the electrical, engineering and motor sectors with modest growth occurring in construction related apprenticeships.  Budget 2017 saw €80 million made available from the National Training Fund (NTF).  This is €20 million greater than the 2016 allocation to provide for increased apprenticeship activity in 2017. The 2018 and future year allocations will be considered through the budgetary process, taking into account forecast increased participation in existing apprenticeships and traineeships and the costs of development and roll out of new apprenticeship programmes and career traineeships.

SOLAS regularly conducts evaluations on the imbalances in skills supply and demand in the workplace, including the construction sector and provides forecasts of the apprenticeship requirements over a five year period.  SOLAS in partnership with the Higher Education Authority and Education and Training Boards Ireland ensures sufficient training provision and resources are in place to meet the labour market demands for apprentices.  SOLAS has recently produced the 2016 National Skills Bulletin (NSB) where shortage indicators are highlighted across a range of construction-related occupations.  The data and trends provided in the 2016 NSB will feed into the annual service planning process which incorporates the planning of construction related apprenticeships by SOLAS in conjunction with Education and Training Boards and Institutes of Technology.The forecast for future apprenticeship registrations remains strong and it is predicted that craft based apprentice registrations will continue to grow incrementally up to 2020. SOLAS is working with its partners to ensure adequate capacity exists within the education and training sector to meet this expected increase in apprentice registrations over the next five years.