James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress that has been made under apprenticeship commitments in Budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12768/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship more accessible to employers and learners, to achieve a target of 10,000 annual registrations across a wide range of programmes by 2025. Expansion to date has widened the impact of apprenticeship to areas of skills shortage such as engineering, technology skills, logistics and fintech.

We are building on this existing progress to advance towards the overall goal, as set out in the Action Plan of creating a single unified apprenticeship system which presents a valued proposition for apprentices and employers alike.

There are currently 62 apprenticeship programmes on offer: 25 craft programmes and 37 programmes introduced since 2016. Eight new programmes were launched over 2020 and 2021, despite the pandemic: Arboriculture, Equipment Systems Engineer, Healthcare Assistant, Principal Engineer – Professional Doctorate, Recruitment Executive, Sales, Scaffolding, Supply Chain Associate. A further three programmes are close to launch: Wind Turbine Maintenance, Bar Manager, Transport Operations and Commercial Driving.

There are 17 additional programmes being developed across agriculture, construction, engineering, equine, finance, horticulture, hospitality and food, ICT and logistics. A number of other potential apprenticeships are at an exploratory stage, in sectors such as health, beauty, environmental, engineering, ICT and finance.

A total of €34 million was provided in Budget 2022 to expand apprenticeship, including the development of new programmes noted above. The funding was also allocated to address the Covid-related backlogs on off-the-job training placements for craft apprentices, to establish the National Apprenticeship Office which will operationalise the new system, and funding to introduce a new employer grant. This grant of €2,000 per eligible apprentice is designed to encourage more employers to engage with a wider range of apprenticeships and to help encourage the development of new programmes. It also means that, for the first time, all employers will receive a level of support towards the cost of apprentice training.

The Action Plan sets a target of 10,000 annual apprentice registrations by 2025. In 2021 there were a record 8,607 registrations- up from 6,177 for 2019, the last pre-COVID full year, and the highest annual registrations since the 2006 figure of 8,306, showing the high degree of interest in this career option amongst both employers and potential apprentices. At the end of 2021, the overall apprentice population was 24,212.

The increase in registrations, despite the pandemic, provides us with a solid pipeline of new talent coming through the apprenticeship system and highlights the huge interest in this area of training. The measures I have outlined above, combined with other deliverables in the Action Plan, mean that the funding allocated n Budget 2022 will support further progress towards achieving the vision articulated in the Plan.