Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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219. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider re-establishing the type of apprenticeship courses previously delivered through the former CERT in view of the serious skills shortages in many areas, particularly the hospitality area. [42063/18]

John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)
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The Council for Education, Recruitment and Training (CERT) was a training organisation specifically for the hospitality sector under the remit of Fáilte Ireland. There are currently no plans to re-establish a dedicated training organisation for the sector but rather to deliver the required education and training through the mainstream higher and further education and training sectors.

In 2015 the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs (EGFSN) carried out a study on the future skills needs of the hospitality sector including skill needs for chefs and cooks. The objective was to assess demand arising within the sector in Ireland including hotels, restaurants, bars, canteens and catering over the period to 2020. The aim was to ensure that there will be the right supply of skills to help drive domestic hospitality sector business and employment growth. Key findings within the report related to the high replacement/exit rates in the sector which has implications for the ongoing skill requirements of the sector and also with regards to staff retention, including education and training, and workplace conditions and remuneration.

The Study assessed skills demand at all NFQ levels, with a particular focus on career progression opportunities for those at lower skilled levels to help fill anticipated job openings. The report provides a set of recommendations designed to address the skills requirements of the sector over the period to 2020, including the need to establish a National Oversight and Advisory Group, comprising of key hospitality stakeholders, to provide a forum for on-going collaboration to support the needs of the sector and oversee implementation of the EGFSN recommendations.

The oversight group was established in 2016, and was mandated for two year period. The group was chaired by the Irish Hotels Federation and identified five priority areas for progress on which significant progress has been made:-

- Promoting careers in the sector

- Audit of hospitality related courses and facilities in both HE and FET

- Development of apprenticeship and traineeship programmes

- Launch of a dedicated skillnet for the hospitality industry

- Making employment connections – DEASP/Jobsbridge etc

The group has published its report on the audit of both higher and further education courses providing a high level of analysis of the data available that shows the numbers of courses, enrolments and awards in the Hospitality sector to enable the Group to determine how it might address the skill sets required by the sector and to aid it in identifying gaps in the provision of courses.

Arising from this Government’s commitment to expand apprenticeship and traineeship education, there are now two apprenticeships in the hospitality sector operational, a Commis Chef Apprenticeship and a Chef de Partie Apprenticeship with industry leadership from the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Irish Hotels Federation. A further two apprenticeships in the culinary area are in development, a Sous Chef apprenticeship which is expected to get underway later this year and an Executive Chef apprenticeship which will be rolled out in 2019. A Bar Manager apprenticeship is also in the early stages of development.

In 2015 a new Career Traineeship initiative was initiated by SOLAS in collaboration with the Education and Training Boards (ETBs) and enterprise to develop a more effective model of work-based learning, primarily at NFQ levels 4 and 5, incorporating best national and international research and practice. Networks have been created to facilitate partnerships between ETBs and employers to identify training needs, design training programmes, recruit learners and deliver training on and off the job. There are currently three hospitality traineeships available with further traineeships in development.

A Restaurant and Hospitality Skillnet was established in 2017 and, along with the Taste 4 Success Skillnet, will address skill needs in the sector. There were also almost 5,500 beneficiaries in 2017 of further education and training in the food and beverage and tourism areas.