Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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800. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit run apprenticeship programmes or are directly engaged in the training of apprentices; if so, the number of apprentices involved; the specialties in which they are being trained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19580/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The military authorities advise that Air Corps aircraft technician apprenticeships are provided for new entrants to the Defence Forces and these apprenticeships entail both ‘on the job’ training and formal education. The 4 year apprenticeship is the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 66 Programme and leads to the award of Category B qualifications in fixed wing, rotary wing or avionics aircraft maintenance technician.

There are currently 4 Air Corps aircraft apprentice classes, comprised of a total of 66 apprentices who will complete their training between June 2022 and June 2025. 

The 2022 competition for Air Corps apprentice aircraft technicians ran from the 14 February to the 15 April 2022. 

My Department is represented on the  Public Service Apprenticeship Working Group, led by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and will continue to engage with the Apprenticeship Action Plan 2021-2025.