Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Public Service Apprenticeship Plan was launched in August 2023. It is a key commitment under the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 and is called out as a public service transformation priority in the Public Service Agreement 2024-202, if ratified. The Plan outlines how to grow the number of annual apprenticeship registrations across the public service, including local authorities, to 750 by 2025.

The Plan creates a road-map to achieving that target while offering an alternative recruitment approach for public service organisations seeking solutions to skills gaps and also provides an entry route for job-seekers interested in a career in the public service. It also provides an opportunity to target and widen the recruitment pool for both generalist and specialist roles within the public service.

As of January 2024, there were 393 apprentices working in the civil service and public sector, of which 41 are in Local Authorities. A Public Service Apprenticeship Leadership Group (PSALG) has been established to drive forward greater use of apprenticeship as an upskilling and reskilling option for public service employers.

Interest in public service apprenticeship from the local government sector has been encouraging. A full list of local government employers and the wide range of apprenticeship programmes they are participating in can be found at the following link.

Apprenticeship provides all public service employers with an opportunity to position their workforces to meet current and future skills needs, in order to deliver on their objectives. The diversity of the public service provides a wide basis for involvement with the range of existing apprenticeships and those in development.

">Local Authority apprenticeship

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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646. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current rates of pay for all craft apprentices, by the different phases; the dates on which the rates were last increased, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9332/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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For the 25 Craft Apprenticeship programmes, the minimum rates of pay are determined by the industry sector to which the employer belongs. This ensures that all craft apprentices with a single employer are subject to a common set of gross wage norms.

Gross wage norms are either agreed within the relevant sector or are set out in legally binding Sectoral Employment Orders (SEOs) recommended by the Labour Court. Any review of those rates currently payable is a matter for negotiation and agreement under the appropriate industrial relations structures in place.

As requested by the Deputy, the current rates of pay for all craft apprentices, by the different phases, and the dates on which the rates were last increased, is provided in tabular form at the link.

">APPRENTICE GROSS WAGE NORMS

Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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647. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the pay scales for craft apprentice education tutors under the current Public Service Pay Agreement; the pay scales under the previous agreement, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9333/24]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Craft apprenticeship instructors are staff under the Career Grade pay scale.

Set out at the link below is the Career Grade pay scale under the current Building Momentum public service pay agreement 2021-2023, and the previous Lansdowne Road public service pay agreement 2018-2020.

If ratified, the proposed Public Service Agreement providing for increases of 10.25% over 2.5 years will replace the Building Momentum pay agreement and cover the period from 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2026.

">Career Grade Pay Scale