Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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439. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures his Department is taking to increase the availability and uptake of apprenticeships which lead to careers in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1644/18]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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Apprenticeship is a demand driven alternance educational and training programme, which aims to develop the skills of an apprentice in order to meet the needs of industry and the labour market.  Consequently, the number of construction related apprentices being registered is determined by employers within the construction sector. My Department is committed to supporting the registration of apprentices across all sectors, including the construction sector, and I understand from SOLAS that the forecast for future apprenticeship registrations in the sector remain strong.

Construction related apprentice registrations increased from 1,677 in 2015 to 2,285 in 2016 which represents an increase of 36%.  This trend continued in 2017 with a further increase of 30% on the 2016 figure bringing the total number of construction related registrations to 2,976. 

As the Deputy is aware, we are currently expanding the range of apprenticeships on offer to meet the identified skill needs of industry. Arising from our first call for apprenticeship proposals in 2015 an apprenticeship in Engineering Services Management, with the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) as industry lead, is currently being developed into a national apprenticeship programme.  In addition, we recently announced 26 new programmes, arising from last year’s second call for proposal, to be further developed into national apprenticeships, including a scaffolding apprenticeship, again with the CIF as industry lead and a senior quantity surveyor apprenticeship with the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland as industry lead. These new programmes, once developed, will add to and complement the range of apprenticeships currently on offer in developing the skill needs identified by the sector.

Furthermore, 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 seeks to promote the values of the apprenticeship model for both employers and prospective apprentices.