Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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187. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when a person in (details supplied) County Mayo will be called for phase 6 of their apprenticeship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10302/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Craft apprenticeships account for 25 of the 62 existing available apprenticeship programmes .The COVID-related shutdown of on-site learning activity over the last two years had a significant impact on the ability of apprentices to access off-the-job training.

The remaining 37 apprenticeships have not been delayed but may have had disruption to recruitment in, for instance, hospitality. The programmes with the longest waiting lists (electrical, plumbing and carpentry) have seen significant reform measures. €30m of additional funding was allocated in 2021 to tackle the backlog. This included €20m in investment in workshops and €10m in additional teaching and support staff.

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. To ensure that the remainder of the Covid backlog is cleared and the system has the capacity to meet the training needs of rapidly increasing numbers of apprentices, expansion of the apprenticeship system is continuing in 2022.

In particular, further major investment in workshops and staff is planned for this year. Regarding the apprentice that the Deputy referred to in his question, my Departments officials have been in touch with SOLAS and have confirmed that he is due to be called to his phase 6 off-the-job training in Term 1 September 2022 at Carlow IT.