Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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284. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the grant supports that are available to those carrying out apprenticeships for various trades required for the building of houses; the supports that he intends to introduce to make the training in these trades more attractive and financially viable to prospective apprentices; his targets for the training of apprentices in the coming five years in each profession in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61433/22]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Trade or profession-specific grant supports are not available to those carrying out apprenticeships for various trades required for the building of houses. There are no supports intended to be introduced to make the training in these trades more attractive to prospective apprentices. Under the Action plan for Apprenticeship2021-25, the overall ambition is to reach 10,000 apprentice registrations per annum by 2025. There are no targets for the training of apprentices in the coming five years in each profession.

Apprenticeships are employer led demand-driven educational and training programmes based on a contract of employment between an apprentice and their employer.

The apprenticeship model enables people to gain an internationally recognised qualification, while getting valuable on-the-job experience which enables people to earn a wage while they learn and build valuable work-ready skills in a chosen occupation. 

Housing for All provides certainty in terms of the Government’s commitment to advancing this area of construction up to 2030. This can help to counter some of the perceptions of jobs in the industry experiencing a boom-to-bust cycle and provide more stability in terms of solid career choices.

To encourage greater gender balance across all apprenticeships, employers of apprentices on which there is greater than 80% of a particular gender can receive a gender bursary of €2,666 when they take on an apprentice of the minority gender. This is important in terms of attracting women into the area; employers are being actively encouraged to take them on.  

For apprentices themselves, the minimum rates of pay applying under the employment contract are either agreed within the relevant sector, or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders recommended by the Labour Court. These minimum rates vary between occupations and sectors but in all cases craft apprenticeship rates are expressed as a proportion of the qualified rate, increasing yearly from 33% in year one to 90% in year four.

Periods of off-the-job training for craft apprentices are funded from the National Training Fund with payments of the agreed rate made directly to craft apprentices by the 16 education and training boards (ETBs) during this time.

In addition to training allowances, craft apprentices on off-the-job training phases in an ETB training centre, Institute of Technology, or a Technological University can apply for either travel or accommodation allowances for the training phase.

Recognising that there are cost of living pressures across society at the moment, as part of Budget 2023 I announced a reduction of 33% in the contribution fee for apprentices as well as additional funding for social inclusion measures in apprenticeship, such as a bursary for apprentices from under-represented groups. These measures have begun implementation and more will be delivered in 2023.