Written answers

Tuesday, 8 March 2022

Department of Education and Skills

Apprenticeship Programmes

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

414. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the new employer apprentice grant will be available to local authorities as employers further to correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12896/22]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The introduction of an annual employer grant is a significant deliverable under the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025. The new Employer Grant is funded in Budget 2022 and will see annual payments to employers of €2,000 per apprentice for those apprenticeships which are not eligible for the payment of off-the-job training allowances. Its introduction means that, for the first time, employers of all apprentices will now have access to some level of financial support, either through direct payment of allowances to apprentices or through the employer grant. The grant is effective from January 2022.

The scheme does not specifically exclude local authorities, subject to the bodies meeting the terms of the scheme, including SOLAS authorisation requirements for apprentice employers.

For example, employers must be approved by SOLAS in advance of employing apprentices, and need to demonstrate that they can provide quality, relevant, on-the-job training for the targeted apprenticeship(s).

The grant can be claimed by the employer in line with de minimis State Aid regulations for each eligible apprentice for the duration of their apprenticeship. This includes apprentices who were registered during the period 2019-2021 and who continue in employment as of 1stJanuary 2022. Two payment points are planned per year, in June and December.

Eligible employers do not need to do anything as they will be contacted by the National Apprenticeship Office in May/June and invited to submit their claim online.

New apprenticeships introduced in 2022 and subsequent years will also be included in the grant scheme.

Further details can be found on www.apprenticeship.ie.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.