Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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819. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on the work of his Department to expand apprenticeship offerings. [27249/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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A key pillar in the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021 - 2025 is to ensure that apprenticeships are recognised and valued across all sectors, promoting them as a vital method for building upon existing and supporting emerging skills needs now and into the future.

In Budget 2025, €77 million was allocated to apprenticeship, representing the single biggest increase in core funding for apprenticeships since the establishment of this Department. The total current budget for apprenticeship is €339 million, which is a 139% increase in apprenticeship funding since 2019.

This investment has supported a 33% growth in the number of apprenticeship programmes available from 58 to 77 since 2020.

Craft apprenticeships make up 25 of the 77, with the remaining 52 being consortia-led programmes designed specifically to service industry with a diverse offering across multiple sectors such as construction, ICT, Hospitality, Health and Social care that support Ireland both economically and socially. Substantial work is underway in expanding the offering with over 20 programmes currently in various stages of development.

Four new apprenticeships were launched in 2024 across the private and public sectors: Level 6 Digital Marketing programme, Level 8 Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Level 9 Social Work programme and Level 9 Software Solutions programme.

The development of new apprenticeships follow a structured 10-step process overseen by the National Apprenticeship Office. All new programmes must be proposed by industry-led groups, supported by clear evidence of significant skills needs within their sectors and backed by practical employer engagement.

Expanding and modernising the apprenticeship system is a priority for my department, as we work to equip Ireland’s workforce for the future.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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820. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to update on the development of proposals by officials within his Department to structurally reform apprenticeships. [27250/25]

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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821. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to update on the creation of an integrated national apprenticeship system as laid out in the Action Plan for Apprenticeship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27251/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 820 and 821 together.

Development of an implementation plan for an integrated apprenticeship system is at an advanced stage.€4 million was allocated in Budget 2025 to support this work.

The Irish workforce is rapidly required to respond to the impact of modern methods of construction, digitisation, AI, and climate change. The plan to transition to an integrated system of apprenticeship delivery with industry at its heart will be crucial to enabling an agile and flexible training system that delivers the skills that employers need.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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823. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to update on the establishment of a level 8 planning apprenticeship; when he expects this course to be made available to students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27254/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Work is underway in the development of a spatial planning apprenticeship (NFQ level 8) which will be launched following the conclusion of a structured process overseen by the National Apprenticeship Office.

The development of this apprenticeship in a key action in the Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage's Ministerial Action Plan on Planning Resources and supports the establishment of a sustainable pipeline of planning resources to meet national targets on housing, retrofit, and other infrastructure delivery.

The development of an apprenticeship in spatial planning is a very clear example of the apprenticeship system supporting the planning sector to meet a critical skills need, reflecting the Government priority for apprenticeship to be recognised and valued by employers across all sectors of the economy as a key mechanism for building a highly skilled workforce, contributing to productivity and sustainable growth.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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824. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to update on the establishment of a level 6 business and operations EO generalist apprenticeship; when he expects this course to be made available to students; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27255/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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A business and operations apprenticeship (NFQ Level 6) is currently in development and will be launched in the civil and public service following the conclusion of a structured process overseen by the National Apprenticeship Office.

This apprenticeship will increase the availability of apprenticeship opportunities across public service bodies as well as supporting Government ambition and targets for the expansion of apprenticeships in public service organisations as set out in Government's Public Service Apprenticeship Plan.

The development of new apprenticeship programmes provides a fast-track route to employment while delivering valuable qualifications for a growing number of occupations and sectors, including for occupations that previously were only available after attending university. Apprenticeship courses with their “earn while you learn” model significantly enhances both affordability and accessibility, particularly for a more diverse learner population.

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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825. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on the work of his Department in promoting apprenticeships as a viable pathway for women, given the currently low engagement rates. [27256/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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Ensuring that Ireland’s apprenticeship population more closely reflects the profile of the general population is a key pillar of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science’s Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025. This includes improving gender balance among apprentices.

In implementation of the Action Plan, in January 2022 Government introduced a €2,666 grant to employers of any national apprenticeship programme with a greater than 80% representation of a single gender.

Since the introduction of the grant, female participation in apprenticeship has increased by 65%, from 1,531 to 2,519 at the end of April this year. This figure is approximately 9% of the overall apprentice population, compared to 6% in January 2022.

Of the 77 available apprenticeship programmes 47 qualified for the gender bursary in 2024 and 2025. Of this number, 46 of these apprenticeship programmes are in relation to females, with the exception being hairdressing, in which males qualify.

In August 2023, the Department launched the Careers in Construction Action Plan which includes a number of initiatives highlighting the opportunities available in construction, including through apprenticeship, in order to change perceptions of these roles, in particular for girls and women.

To assist in achieving the goals of the Action Plan, €750,000 was allocated under the 2024 Housing for All Implementation Fund for promotional initiatives, including:

• The Building Heroes social media campaign takes a peer-to-peer approach to dispel the myths surrounding careers in construction, which has reached seven million people online;
• A Careers in Construction documentary on the sector has been produced and shared with schools nationwide;

Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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826. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when he expects the National Apprenticeship Office’s economic review of apprenticeship incentivisation will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27258/25]

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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The Action Plan for Apprenticeship recognises that the cost of training is a potential barrier to employer participation in apprenticeships. To support employers with training costs, a €2,000 employer grant was launched in 2022 for employers of apprenticeships developed since 2016, being 52 of the current 77 programmes. Since the introduction of this grant, yearly registrations on these programmes has risen from 1,652 in 2021 to 2,239 in 2024.

The state supports craft apprenticeships through the provision of the State training allowance during all phases of the apprentices’ off-the-job training, and while this is paid directly to the apprentice, it supports craft employers with the overall training costs of hiring apprentices.

Targeted financial supports are also available to employers to encourage the employment of underrepresented groups into apprenticeship programmes and to would-be apprentices in certain underrepresented groups.

A National Apprenticeship Office commissioned an economic review of existing employer and apprentice incentivisation is ongoing and findings will support Government's ambition to incentivise employers and apprentices to engage with apprenticeship.