Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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277. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he is satisfied regarding the adequacy of an adequate number of places for students wishing to pursue courses of an academic or technical nature; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37114/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he and his Department have planned for the likely increased demand in fourth-level education in the future with particular reference to the need to stay in pace with or at least on par with international trends; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37120/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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294. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he and his Department can foresee opportunities in the future for fourth-level graduates given current market demands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37131/21]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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296. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which provision is being made throughout the third-level system to facilitate those wishing to achieve the highest possible qualifications in technical and academic areas through apprenticeships or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37133/21]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 277, 283, 294 and 296 together.

The further and higher education sectors have a number of key strategies in place at all levels to ensure that the educational opportunities being offered align with existing and future skills demands. These include policies designed to ensure a pipeline of suitably qualified higher education graduates and apprentices, and initiatives to equip young people and the working population more generally with the skills and capacity to meet these demands.

The identification of skills priorities to help inform and shape planning for graduate output from higher and further education, including in relation to apprenticeships, is guided by the National Skills Strategy. The Strategy provided for the establishment of the skills architecture that we have today, the National Skills Council and the nine Regional Skills Fora. Underpinning both the skills agenda and architecture are the skills forecasting and intelligence systems, made up of the contribution of a number of public bodies including, at present, the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs in the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Skills and Labour Market Research Unit in Solas and the statistical analysis and assessment carried out by the HEA. The detailed research and analyses carried out by these bodies feed into the work of the Skills Council in defining the priorities and delivering responses in the area of skills needs.

Two key initiatives in the higher education system which ensure that places are funded in courses in identified areas of skills need are Springboard + and the Human Capital Initiative (HCI). Springboard+ 2021 was launched on 14th June 2021. As a result of multi-annual funding of graduate conversion courses, there is a combined total of 13,444 places on 408 courses available in the 2021/22 academic year under Springboard+ 2021 and HCI Pillar 1. This year, there is a broad range of courses, including courses in areas of new and emerging technologies such Cybersecurity, and Virtual Reality. In addition, there are programmes in areas which have come to the fore as result of Covid-19 such as Health Innovation, Logistics and Online Retail.

The new Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 which was launched on 19th April last sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship accessible to employers and learners. The actions set out in the plan seek to deliver on a target of 10,000 apprenticeship registrations per annum by 2025. A key strength of the apprenticeship model, is that it is a demand-led approach to meeting workforce and skill requirements in our economy. Therefore the number of places is determined by employers with off the job training delivered to all registered apprentices.

Of the 61 apprenticeship programmes currently available, leading to qualifications at level 5-10 on the National Framework of Qualifications, eight are at level 7; five are at level 8; three programmes are at level 9 and the Principal Engineer (post graduate) programme is at level 10. There are a further 17 apprenticeships in development of which 5 are expected to be offered at level 7 and 4 at level 9.

It is important to note that the off the job training for the phases 4 and 6 of the 25 craft apprenticeships is delivered Institutes of Technology and Technological Universities.

A full list of the available apprenticeship programmes, the apprenticeship programmes in development, and their NFQ level are available in the attached spreadsheet.

My Department will continue working with enterprise agencies and industry groups, as well as the higher education institutions, to assess the future demand for higher education graduates and apprentices as well as our ability to meet this demand, and ensure we are prepared for the challenges ahead.