Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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One of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025is "Apprenticeship for All". In other words, ensuring that the profile of the apprenticeship population more closely reflects the profile of the general population. As per the latest data available there are 1,744 female apprentices, up from 60 in 2016 and only 665 at the end of 2019, and representing 7% of the overall apprentice population.

While this increase is mainly due to the expansion of apprenticeship into new areas, it is also important to note that female representation in craft apprenticeship has doubled in the last 2/3 years and participation in industry areas such as Manufacturing and Engineering is also increasing. Women also feature more strongly in the new apprenticeships in the hospitality, healthcare, property, sales, biopharma and ICT sectors.

Targets and interventions for specific groups will be detailed through an Equity of Access subcommittee of the National Apprenticeship Alliance to ensure that the voice of under-represented groups is integral to the development of the apprenticeship system. The actions set out in the Plan build on the outcomes of the 2018 Review of Pathways to Participation in Apprenticeship which has already resulted in a significant widening of measures to support increased visibility of apprenticeships.

The Action Plan contains a number of key deliverables designed to secure significantly greater diversity by:-

- including the voice of under-represented cohorts in apprenticeship;

- putting in place an inclusive apprenticeship access and delivery structure; and

- monitoring and assessing targets and developing appropriate interventions.

On 14th April I announced a new gender-based bursary for apprenticeship employers as part of the national Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025. The bursary, which is worth €2,666, is available to employers who employ apprentices in the minority gender on any national apprenticeship programme with greater than 80% representation of a single gender. It is being implemented with effect from 01 January 2022, and covers all new apprentice registrations from that date on eligible national apprenticeship programmes. The apprenticeship gender-based bursary is an expansion of the ‘female bursary’ available to craft apprenticeship employers prior to 2022. Currently there are 41 programmes eligible for the bursary.

This bursary is in addition to the Government supports that apprenticeship employers receive via the craft training allowance and the employer grant.

Information on apprenticeship was included on the CAO website for the first time for CAO 2022. This is expected to make a significant contribution to showing the range of learning and qualification options for school leavers. As part of this landmark change, a freephone helpline has been introduced for learners, parents and guidance counsellors to provide information on apprenticeship, including how to find an employer. The helpline supplements the existing guidance counsellor service at post-primary and further education and training levels.

There has also been a specific focus on female participation as part of the Generation Apprenticeship national promotional campaign. SOLAS ran a media campaign over three weeks in January 2021 promoting the apprenticeship route and celebrating diversity and the 1,000th female apprentice.

An all-female Software Developer Associate Apprenticeship programme commenced in November 2019 in conjunction with Fastrack into IT (FIT). It is a 2 year course offered at level 6 of the National Framework of Qualifications. The off the job training is being delivered by Liberties College which is under the remit of the City of Dublin Education and Training Board. A high level of interest has been reported in this programme to date.

The general push towards women in STEM roles under the STEM Education Strategy and the ICT Skills Action Plan should also feed through to the apprenticeship intakes.

I am satisfied that these measures and the implementation process for the Apprenticeship Action Plan overall will have a significant impact in ensuring greater diversity in the apprenticeship population as a whole.