Ruairi Ó Murchú (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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106. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address the under-investment in apprenticeships; and the way that his Department will manage the current waiting lists for apprentices waiting for assignment to off-the-job training. [6484/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025sets 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 annual apprenticeship registrations by 2025.

The Government is committed under the Action Planto working with employers to promote, enable and support the recruitment and training of apprentices. There is a very substantial allocation of resources to apprenticeships drawing on the resources provided by employers through the Training Levy into the National Training Fund. The budget allocation for 2022 is €206m.

In response to the COVID-related backlogs in off-the-job training for craft apprentices, capital funding of €20m was provided in 2020 to extend and upgrade craft apprenticeship facilities across further and higher education institutions. Additional funding of €17m was provided under Budget 2022 to further facilitate the SOLAS and HEA’s response to the backlogs. This included a significant recruitment campaign to increase the number of trainers.

In addition to this investment, a number of agreed reform measures are being implemented to help clear the lists. These include changed delivery structures for Phase 2 off-the-job training which is facilitating a third intake of apprentices per annum and an opt-in rapid employer assessment which is being piloted at Phase 7 (on-the-job) for apprentices who have completed Phase 6 and spent more than four years in their apprenticeship.

At the end of January 9,570 craft apprentices were waiting for access to phase 2, 4 or 6 off-the-job training. This is down from nearly 12,000 apprentices who were waiting last August. Registrations to craft apprenticeships remain strong with 6,955 craft apprentices registered by the end of December last year, and these apprentices must also be accommodated.

Actions taken by SOLAS, the HEA and education and training providers, along with the measures announced in the Budget will mean that 40% of those waiting will have accessed their off-the-job training in 2021. The current plan sees waiting lists clearing and the craft apprenticeship system well placed to meet the expected growth in construction related apprentices over the coming period.