Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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104. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the total number of consortia-led and craft apprentices currently waiting to access off-the-job training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17109/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware the waiting list for craft apprenticeship training results from the adverse impact of Covid public health restrictions on the operation of the education and training sector.

In responding to these restrictions it has been a priority to seek to facilitate, whenever possible, access to onsite teaching and learning for essential skills-based activities such as apprenticeship.

A detailed and comprehensive emergency plan to tackle the apprentice waiting lists has been underway across further and higher education since August 2021 when some training facilities started to reopen. At that point 11,859 apprentices were delayed in their training.

Since then, a €20m additional capital investment has provided a large increase in workshops and equipment in every training location in the country. A further €17m was provided under Budget 2022 to further facilitate SOLAS and the HEA’s response, including a significant recruitment campaign to increase the number of trainers.

More than 8,400 apprentices, or over 70% of those who were delayed in their training by Covid-19, have now progressed in their off-the-job phases. This includes over 700 final year apprentices who have been fast-tracked to complete their qualification. There has been an increase of over 50% in the number of training places available, via additional workshops and 100+ additional staff.

The number of craft apprentices waiting as of this week 28/03/2022 was 8,134.

My Department are not aware of any consortia-led apprentices waiting to access off the job training outside of normal scheduling.

My Department, SOLAS, and other apprenticeship partners are continuing to work actively on further measures to ensure that waiting times are resolved as speedily as possible, enabling apprentices to progress through their apprenticeship as quickly as is feasible.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will consider abolishing the apprenticeship fee for phase 4 and 6 to help ease the cost of leaving crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17110/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Where an apprentice pays an Annual Student Contribution (ASC), the amount of ASC charged is calculated on a pro rata basis, determined by the time which they spend in the institution during any given academic year. In cases where training is delivered in an Education and Training Board education centre, there is no contribution required from the apprentice.

The ASC applies to all learners attending a higher education institution.

For craft apprenticeships, the ASC charged is typically one third of the €3,000 ASC paid by students attending the higher education institution for the full academic year and so amounts to approximately €1,000 per apprentice per period spent in the Institute of Technology or Technological University.

In the case of consortia-led apprenticeships, the contribution varies for each programme. This reflects the arrangements on those programmes whereby off-the-job training has a more flexible structure, ranging from periods of block release to one day per week or remote learning options.

Regarding the recent increases in the cost of living, the Deputy should note that craft apprentices are eligible for certain allowances during their off-the-job training.

All apprentices are primarily employees and as such, eligible apprentices are also entitled to access general employment supports such as the Working Family Payment and other relevant schemes.