Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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176. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress to date in the roll-out of public sector apprenticeships and the sectors in which further progress will be made. [25377/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A key commitment of the ‘Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025’is to grow the number of apprenticeship registrations across the public service, including local authorities, to reach 750 annual registrations by 2025. This represents a more than seven-fold increase on 2020 registrations and will support a long-term goal of 7% of the apprentice population being employed by public service employers.

Whilst it is not yet determined where the apprenticeship roles are best located, the diversity of the public service provides a wide basis for involvement with the range of existing apprenticeships and those programmes in development. Apprenticeship provides an opportunity to target and widen the recruitment pool for both generalist and specialist roles within the public service.

My Department’s officials have undertaken a number of actions in order to make progress towards achieving this commitment:

- Several general and sector-focused information sessions on apprenticeship were held late last year.

- A Working Group has been established, representing Government Departments and agencies and local authorities, to develop a Public Service Apprenticeship Recruitment Plan by summer 2022. The Group’s work is based on surveying over 100 organisations in relation to their skills needs.

- More specifically, there has been extensive bilateral engagement with the LGMA, to assist with surveying local authorities in relation to their skills needs.

- There is also engagement with the HSE and Department of Health in relation to a commitment in the Action Plan to explore a healthcare assistant apprenticeship programme for the HSE and the options for how this might be piloted.

The results of the survey of public service organisations have now been analysed and a Public Service Apprenticeship Recruitment Plan, informed by the survey results, is being drafted. It is intended to submit the draft for Cabinet approval before the summer recess.