Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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696. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 1244 of 14 June 2022, the estimated first-year and full-year cost of providing a new modern methods of construction apprenticeship training course. [36990/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A key objective of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is to ensure the apprenticeship system will increase its contribution to meeting Ireland’s skills and human capital requirements by delivering a target of 10,000 apprenticeship registrations per annum by 2025.

There are currently 65 apprenticeship programmes, 25 craft programmes and 40 programmes introduced since 2016. Construction related programmes include electrical, plumbing, carpentry and joinery, plastering, painting and decorating and the recently launched scaffolding apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are also in development in roofing and cladding (L5) and advanced quantity surveyor (L9).

Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is used to describe a range of offsite manufacturing and onsite techniques that provide alternatives to traditional house building. Typical MMC systems include timber frame, steel frame, and precast concrete. The Construction Industry Federation’s report on Modern Methods of Construction can be found here: www.cif.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/1271-CIF-Modern-Methods-of-Construction-Report-v4.pdf.

Currently there is no MMC statutory apprenticeship but rather several apprenticeships related to the construction sector would have similar content embedded in the programmes. The costs of apprenticeships are dependent on several variables including content, duration and delivery methodology. As there is currently no MMC apprenticeship programme and recognising these variables, it is not possible to provide any indicative costings.