Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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72. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the action he will take to address the fact that new apprenticeships registrations are running 67% behind target in 2017. [51901/17]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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As the Deputy is aware, I published the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship & Traineeship in Ireland 2016-2020, which sets out a series of detailed actions and targets outlining how the overall expansion commitment contained in the Action Plan for Education will be met.

While we have already exceeded our 2017 target registrations in craft apprenticeships, we are unlikely to reach our target this year of 800 new registrations on a total of 15 new apprenticeships. To date 9 new apprenticeship programmes are operational and registrations across these schemes this year currently stand at 302. Two further programmes in ICT have been validated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland and are scheduled for their first intake of apprentices early in 2018.

We have a strong pipeline of apprenticeships in development the meet the Action Plan targets for future years. In addition, the two programmes with a second intake in 2017 both showed increased registrations over their year one figures.  This pattern of the initiating programmes with smaller numbers and building registrations in subsequent years is likely to continue and provides a solid basis to meet registration targets as the programme base grows.

Earlier this year a second call for apprenticeship proposals issued to industry and education and training providers in order to refresh the pipeline of apprenticeships in development already established through the first call.  The second call closed on the 1st September with 77 proposals received from a range of sectors and occupations. Since the call closed the Council has been assessing the proposals received and the results of the second call will be published shortly.

In addition, a digital campaign to promote apprenticeship is now underway with a dedicated Twitter feed #Generation Apprenticeship, a new apprenticeship website www.apprenticeship.ie, an Apprenticeship Ireland Facebook page and a LinkedIn page. The campaign is designed to promote the value of the apprenticeship model to both employers and to prospective apprentices.