Written answers

Thursday, 20 May 2021

Department of Education and Skills

Apprenticeship Programmes

Photo of Niamh SmythNiamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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130. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the commitments in the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 to promote access in apprenticeship for traditionally under-represented groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26971/21]

Photo of Niall CollinsNiall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 sets out a number of structural reforms to ensure that the apprenticeship system of the future is enabled to deliver a more responsive and visible offering to learners and employers. A National Apprenticeship Alliance (NAA) will be established to provide stakeholder oversight of the delivery of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship in collaboration with a new National Apprenticeship office (NAO). Central to the NAA will be an Equity of Access Subcommittee which will include representation that ensures that links with second level, community education, youth justice programmes, broader FET provision and higher education are represented. Targets for participation by under-represented groups, and additional specific actions to support those target groups will be set in conjunction with the Equity of Access Subcommittee and will be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that interventions are effective in supporting increased diversity of the apprentice population.

Existing actions set out in the plan include:-

- The current female craft apprenticeship bursary will be expanded to all programmes with greater than 80% representation of a single gender.

- An apprentice bursary/support scheme will be established to fund up to 100 apprentices per year who are experiencing severe socioeconomic disadvantage and who are from target groups, including lone parents, people with disabilities, Travellers and Roma.

- Access to apprenticeship programmes and pre-apprenticeship courses will be clearly labelled as such, with progression routes into apprenticeship clearly identified and information on these courses will be published on www. apprenticeship.ie.

- An employer survey will determine baseline employer attitude and extent of knowledge of supports available to employers for supporting employees with a disability.

The 2018 Review of Pathways to Participation in Apprenticeship has already resulted in a significant widening of measures to support increased visibility of apprenticeships. Actions outlined within the Action Plan are designed to support and enhance progress towards the goals of the Pathways review. Work in the area of access to apprenticeships for young people and under-represented groups is ongoing and initiatives underway to boost apprenticeship across further and higher education include:

- Technological University Dublin has developed an Access to Apprenticeship programme. This innovative pilot programme supports the transition of young people (16-24 years old) from areas of socio-economic disadvantage into craft apprenticeships. To date over 118 young men and women have progressed into apprenticeships through this program.

- The Generation Apprenticeship competition was also rolled out at second level for the first time in 2020 with 156 second level schools, Youthreach Centres and Community Training Centres taking part.

- Pre-apprenticeship training is available nationwide in a variety of sectors, often for those who do not meet the minimum educational requirements. On completion of the programmes, learners may progress to apprenticeships, further education, or employment. It is expected that over 800 learners will participate in pre-apprenticeship programmes in 2021.

- Over 1,200 employers have registered with www.apprenticejobs.ie which is designed to increase visibility of opportunities for all potential apprentices.

- A user-friendly and interactive website to provide information on, and increase awareness of, apprenticeship was launched in October 2020 (www.apprenticeship.ie).

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