Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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A key strength of the apprenticeship model is that it is an demand-led employer-driven approach to meeting workforce and skill requirements in our economy. As such, the demand for and number of apprentices is primarily dictated by employers in any sector.

General expansion of apprenticeship as a route to career development is a key priority for Government. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025sets out new ways of structuring, funding and promoting apprenticeships to make them more accessible to achieve a target of 10,000 annual registrations by 2025.

We are making significant progress in realising the ambition of the Plan. A key objective is to make apprenticeship more attractive to employers and learners, to ensure their continued engagement and to attract those who have not previously engaged with the system. Progress to date includes:

• The establishment of the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) and the National Apprenticeship Alliance (NAA), delivering new governance and operational structures for the apprenticeship system.
• The establishment of the Access and Inclusion subcommittee of the NAA, to help make apprenticeship more reflective of the national population;
• Securing resources for access measures, including a bursary programme for under-represented groups;
• The introduction of the apprenticeship employer grant of €2,000 and a gender bursary grant of €2,666;
• The inclusion of apprenticeship options on the CAO website from November 2021, and supporting this, the launch of the NAO Freephone advice helpline

Many of these measures are specifically designed to increase engagement with apprenticeship, by both employers and potential apprentices.

The Motor Mechanic apprenticeship programme has shown consistently strong participation over the past five years. Details of registrations and population figures are included in the table below.

There has been a marked increase in the overall population of both the Agricultural Mechanics and the Heavy Vehicle Mechanics apprenticeship programmes, of 61% and 20% respectively, on the pre-Covid figures in 2019, as detailed below.

Motor Mechanics	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023 YTD
Population	1306	1278	1450	1428	1366
Registrations	408	310	502	431	265

The NAO will continue to drive central branding and promotional activities targeted to heighten public awareness of the range of apprenticeship offerings available. Visibility of programmes is being supported through the national Generation Apprenticeship campaign. This aims to increase awareness of apprenticeship opportunities across a broad audience of stakeholders including radio, digital, and billboard advertising. There is also continued engagement with regional vocational skills showcases.