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Apprenticeship Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 July 2018

Tuesday, 3 July 2018

Questions (125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134)

Billy Kelleher

Question:

125. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost in terms of revenue forgone over a full calendar year of a proposal by an organisation (details supplied) based on current participation figures and forecasts for 2019, for all craft-based and consortia-led apprenticeships as set out under the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland 2016-2020; and his views on the proposal. [28677/18]

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Billy Kelleher

Question:

126. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills the cost in terms of revenue forgone over a full calendar year of a proposal by an organisation (details supplied) based on current participation figures and forecasts for 2019 for all craft based and consortia led apprenticeships as set out under the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland 2016-2020; and his views on the proposal. [28678/18]

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Billy Kelleher

Question:

127. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal outlined in a report by an organisation (details supplied). [28679/18]

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Billy Kelleher

Question:

128. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal outlined in a report by an organisation (details supplied). [28680/18]

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Billy Kelleher

Question:

129. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal outlined in a report by an organisation (details supplied). [28681/18]

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Billy Kelleher

Question:

130. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal outlined in a report by an organisation (details supplied). [28682/18]

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Billy Kelleher

Question:

131. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal outlined in a report by an organisation (details supplied). [28683/18]

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Billy Kelleher

Question:

132. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal outlined in a report by an organisation (details supplied). [28684/18]

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Billy Kelleher

Question:

133. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal outlined in a report by an organisation (details supplied). [28685/18]

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Billy Kelleher

Question:

134. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a proposal outlined in a report by an organisation (details supplied). [28686/18]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 to 134, inclusive, together.

I have read the report referred to in the Deputy's questions with interest. Minister Bruton is meeting with representatives from the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) later this week to discuss the report and its recommendations.

Securing skills supply from the education and training to the construction sector is a major focus of my Department as part of broader Government actions to increase housing supply and roll out the National Development Plan and the National Planning Framework. Construction related apprenticeship registrations increased from 1,713 in 2015 to 2,314 in 2016 which represents an increase of 35%. This trend continued in 2017 with a further increase of 28% on the 2016 figure bringing the total number of construction related registrations to 2,963 which represented over 60% of all new registrations last year.

As the Deputy is aware, apprenticeship is a demand driven educational and training programme, which aims to develop the skills of an apprentice in order to meet the needs of industry and the labour market. Consequently, the number of construction related apprentices being registered is determined by employers within the construction sector. My Department and SOLAS are committed to supporting the registration of apprentices in the construction sector. Registrations on craft apprenticeships are forecast to increase further up to 2020.

As part of the implementation of the Action Plan to Expand Apprenticeship and Traineeship in Ireland, SOLAS and the Apprenticeship Council are reviewing pathways to apprenticeship. The review report, due to be published shortly, will identify barriers that exist to participation in apprenticeship programmes and make recommendations for the future. This may include looking at support for employers taking on apprentices from under-represented groups and practical support for smaller employers engaging with the apprenticeship system.

Some of the recommendations contained in the CIF report refer to changes to the NTF levy to employers. As part of Budget 2018, it was decided to raise the rate of the NTF levy by 0.1% in 2018 to 0.8% and, subject to progress on a series of reforms, by a further 0.1% in both 2019 and 2020. One of these reforms is a comprehensive and independent review of the National Training Fund (NTF) to guide strategic decisions on its structure and future direction in order to inform Budget 2019. This review will be completed shortly. It should be noted that most schemes internationally that allow rebates for employers who train directly only apply where that training is provided and funded by the employer. There are issues with a proposal that employers who benefit most from investment from the NTF contribute less than other employers to the levy.

It should also be noted that employers engaged in craft based apprenticeships are benefitting significantly from the National Training Fund (NTF) as the apprentices in these programmes are paid a training allowance equivalent to their wages by their local Education and Training Board during their off-the-job training phases. This is not the case in the new consortia-led apprenticeships where the employer pays the apprentice's wage for the full duration of the apprenticeship. Further financial assistance to employers in the construction sector needs to be considered in that context. This year €122m has been allocated from the NTF to apprenticeship training, an increase of almost 24% on the previous year.

I am very interested in exploring mechanisms of supporting smaller employers to engage with the apprenticeship system and considering further some of the recommendations in the CIF report. Work is already underway on developing a the shared apprenticeship scheme. SOLAS in partnership with CIF and Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB) operated a pilot initiative in the last year to test the viability of such a scheme. Following analysis of the pilot outcomes and in consultation with both the CIF and WWETB, I understand that SOLAS decided not to operationalise the pilot initiative more widely. In particular, it was found that the pilot did not attract employers in sufficient numbers to suggest that the scheme had the potential to have a significant impact on apprenticeship recruitment. However, I understand from SOLAS that they are currently in discussions with representatives from the construction industry to assess how the scheme could be made more viable.

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