John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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116. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how he is increasing access to apprenticeship for under-represented groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45554/23]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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One of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is "Apprenticeship for All". That is, ensuring that the profile of the apprenticeship population more closely reflects the profile of the general population. The Plan promotes general access, diversity, and inclusion in apprenticeship by offering targeted supports to encourage participation from under-represented groups including gender diversity, people with disabilities, and members of socio-economic groups of disadvantage. The specific targets and interventions are informed by the Access & Inclusion Sub-Committee of the National Apprenticeship Alliance. This will help to ensure that the voice of under-represented groups is integral to the further development of the apprenticeship system.

The National Apprenticeship Office increases the visibility of under-represented groups in apprenticeship literature and promotional material to reflect the participation and positive experience of people from all backgrounds and communities, as well as the availability of assistive supports.

I am also delighted to confirm that there will be additional funding of €400,000 for a bursary for apprentices from under-represented groups. Bursaries would be proposed to support apprenticeship learners in all ETBs and at TUS Limerick and Athlone, MTU, ATU Galway and TU Dublin.

Gender Bursary

As of end September 2023, there were 2140 female apprentices, representing 8% of the overall apprentice population. This compares to 1,321 in April 2021, almost a doubling of female participation in that time.

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 almost tripled in the last 4 years. 125 females were participating in craft apprenticeships in 2019 and 410 females were participating in craft apprenticeships as of September of 2023. Participation in industry areas such as manufacturing and engineering is also increasing. Women also feature more strongly in the apprenticeships in the hospitality, healthcare, property, sales, biopharma and ICT sectors.

In 2022, this government announced a new gender-based bursary for apprenticeship employers. The bursary, 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. Currently there are more than 42 programmes eligible for the bursary.

There has also been a specific focus on female participation as part of the Generation Apprenticeship national promotional campaign. For example, this year the National Apprenticeship Office launched an initiative called 'Facts, Faces, Futures' to coincide with International Women’s Day 2023. The purpose of the initiative is to communicate the growing participation and leadership of women and girls in careers available through apprenticeship. The campaign also aims to ensure that students in girls’ schools around the country are aware of the apprenticeship programmes now available. Many of these lead to degree-level awards, in industries that include finance, biopharma, property services, tech and engineering. We want to ensure that young women in Ireland have a front row seat in that transformation at a time when the opportunities for women through apprenticeship have never been stronger.

The details of its three components are as follows:

• Facts:Apprenticeship is packed with diverse role models and women’s success stories, and growing numbers of women apprentices and graduates of the apprenticeship route
• Faces:They are employers, chefs, craftspeople, cyber security specialists, international financial analysts, creators, team members, leaders!
• Futures:More and more girls in school can take inspiration from these role models, seeing what they can be and shaping their future careers

The Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme is funded under the Dormant Accounts Fund scheme. The programme is aimed at both increased uptake of and retention on apprenticeships. It is run through the Irish Traveller Movement, and is supported by Pavee Point, the National Apprenticeship Alliance sub-committee on Access & Inclusion, and by the National Apprenticeship Office.

The Programme is structured across three streams:

• Stream 1- €3,000 bursary each for 20 Travellers who are employed as new apprentices and €2,000 incentive payment each for their employers.
• Stream 2- €3,000 bursary each for 20 existing Traveller apprentices.
• Stream 3- €3,000 bursary each for 20 Travellers to access pre-apprenticeship and Access to Apprenticeship programmes.

Currently all national apprenticeships are structured on a full-time basis and are designed to be delivered within a set period of time. While recognising the fact that an apprenticeship is a full time work based learning opportunity, it is intended that programmes will be reviewed giving consideration to increasing the flexibility of learning provision, both on the job and off the job to allow for part time delivery of apprenticeship and modular learning.

To support apprentices, information is sought at the point of registration on any additional supports that may be needed due to a disability. Education and training providers offer learning and other supports to apprentices during their training and many employers also provide accommodations in the workplace to apprentices with disabilities. Approximately 3% of the apprentice population have declared one or more disabilities, and are receiving additional supports. A majority of these identified themselves as having dyslexia or other disabilities related to learning.

The expanding range of opportunities available within apprenticeship, as well as changing work practices in traditional areas, provide a step towards increasing opportunity for persons with a disability and other traditionally under-represented groups, however relying on a broader range of apprenticeships is not sufficient to provide equity of opportunity to marginalised groups.

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