Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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Apprenticeship is a demand driven 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. The development of new apprenticeships is employer-led, with consortia comprising employer groups and educational providers coming together to identify a skills need and appropriate apprenticeship response in their sector. The Apprenticeship Council examine any proposals arising in the context of identified skills needs.

A proposal for a Bakery apprenticeship was initiated by the sector in 2015 and a proposed level 6 programme was part developed, however ultimately a decision not to proceed was made by the consortium and this was communicated to SOLAS in July 2019. There is currently no Bakery apprenticeship in development.

It is open to any industry that wishes to explore options for developing an apprenticeship to bring a proposal forward to the Apprenticeship Council. The SOLAS Guidance Document for Submitting an Initial Proposal for a New National Apprenticeship is attached. This document together with a Handbook on Developing a National Apprenticeship, which is available on www.apprenticeship.ie, provide an overview of the key features of new apprenticeships, including sectoral engagement and collaboration among enterprises and other stakeholders in the relevant industry.