Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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199. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the arrangements being put in place to hold online courses for apprentices in lieu of the 12 week courses in colleges normally attended by them, particularly for those near the end of their apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31850/20]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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As of March 2020, there were 18,164 apprentices registered over 55 apprenticeship programmes.  Apprenticeships are between 2 and 4 years in duration leading to qualifications at level 5-10 of the National Framework of Qualifications with a range of arrangements to deliver off-the-job training.  These arrangements range from one day a week off-the-job for international financial services apprentices up to a 35 week off-the-job placement for phase 4 aviation apprenticeships.

In March of this year, a number of apprenticeship programmes moved fully online or were modified to allow for greater flexibility between on-the-job and off-the-job elements of the programmes.

It was not possible to deliver this flexibility in programme provision or assessment in the practical elements of craft apprenticeships due to the need to access workshops and equipment together with the simultaneous closure of the construction sector. 

An alternative assessment approach was delivered for the theory assessments for up to 2,500 craft apprentices who had been close to finishing their phase of training at the time of the shutdown in March. Outstanding practical assessments were prioritised for completion in September 2020, with over 1,000 apprentices completing practical assessments and their phase of training.

Craft apprentices who had had their off-the-job training interrupted in March 2020 were prioritised for a return to training from 31 August (ETB training centres) and from 10 September (Institutes of Technology and TU Dublin). 

SOLAS is currently engaging with Further and Higher Education delivery partners to examine additional options to maximise delivery of craft apprenticeship having regard to the ongoing impact of Covid-19. This includes looking at practical impacts of online delivery and also how much of the theory for craft can be delivered online. Along with the HEA they will engage further in relation to the curricula to see what parts can be delivered online and work with the sector to see which parts of apprenticeships might be amenable to blended learning.