SOLAS do not maintain a record of the number of persons that unsuccessfully sought or applied for apprenticeships as apprentices no not apply to become an apprentice through SOLAS. In order to train as an apprentice a person first needs to be recruited by an approved employer. There is no central record of applications to employers for apprenticeship positions as this is part of wider labour market activity.
While the Apprenticeship Council has issued two formal calls for proposals to develop new apprenticeships and Government is promoting apprenticeships heavily through the Generation Apprenticeship campaign, decisions to develop new apprenticeships are taken by groups of employers with reference to the various options open to them to develop the skills needed in their sectors. Employers in Ireland have responded in large numbers to the calls for proposals and apprenticeships are now much more widely available across sectors. For the first time, apprenticeships have become available in recent years in areas such as auctioneering, biopharmachem, insurance, finance, hospitality and food, ICT and logistics, with further programmes in the pipeline in renewable energy, retail, hairdressing and a range of other sectors. These add to the long-standing base of apprenticeship in areas such as construction, motor and engineering.
In all 20 new apprenticeship programmes are available and 36 more are in development. This will give apprenticeship a broad footprint across the economy but of course some sectors will use other options for skills development.
The details of registrations on programmes sought by the Deputy are in the following table.
Registrations for ALL occupations for years 2015-2019 (end of Aug)
|
Occupation
|
2015
|
2016
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019 (end of Aug)
|
|
Accounting Technician
|
|
|
71
|
88
|
64
|
|
Agricultural Mechanics
|
59
|
43
|
45
|
41
|
23
|
|
Aircraft Mechanics
|
34
|
39
|
53
|
74
|
54
|
|
Auctioneering and Property Services
|
|
|
|
53
|
59
|
|
Brick and Stonelaying
|
26
|
52
|
60
|
81
|
54
|
|
Butcher
|
|
|
|
7
|
16
|
|
Carpentry and Joinery
|
291
|
399
|
443
|
591
|
374
|
|
Chef de Partie
|
|
|
|
31
|
11
|
|
Commis Chef
|
|
|
25
|
112
|
23
|
|
Construction Plant Fitting
|
77
|
59
|
86
|
71
|
34
|
|
Cybersecurity
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
Electrical
|
956
|
1343
|
1705
|
1841
|
1189
|
|
Electrical Instrumentation
|
83
|
106
|
120
|
108
|
73
|
|
Electronic Security Systems
|
28
|
28
|
72
|
65
|
53
|
|
Farriery
|
7
|
5
|
6
|
9
|
2
|
|
Heavy Vehicle Mechanics
|
154
|
136
|
143
|
176
|
96
|
|
Industrial Electrical Engineer
|
|
12
|
19
|
25
|
17
|
|
Industrial Insulation
|
13
|
10
|
21
|
19
|
13
|
|
Instrumentation
|
8
|
10
|
20
|
17
|
9
|
|
Insurance Practitioner
|
|
67
|
86
|
80
|
25
|
|
International Financial Services Associate
|
|
|
15
|
11
|
2
|
|
International Financial Services Specialist
|
|
|
18
|
10
|
3
|
|
Laboratory Analyst
|
|
|
|
2
|
|
|
Laboratory Technician
|
|
|
|
14
|
3
|
|
Logistics Associate
|
|
|
|
27
|
17
|
|
Mechanical Automation & Maintenance Fitting
|
153
|
163
|
183
|
180
|
109
|
|
Manufacturing Engineer (Level 7)
|
|
|
36
|
20
|
9
|
|
Manufacturing Technology (Level 6)
|
|
|
40
|
34
|
15
|
|
Metal Fabrication
|
198
|
186
|
224
|
234
|
162
|
|
Motor Mechanics
|
423
|
420
|
353
|
380
|
261
|
|
Network Engineer Associate
|
|
|
|
22
|
39
|
|
OEM Engineer
|
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
Painting and Decorating
|
19
|
27
|
44
|
30
|
22
|
|
Pipefitting
|
37
|
33
|
25
|
49
|
50
|
|
Plastering
|
7
|
18
|
34
|
29
|
19
|
|
Plumbing
|
289
|
345
|
532
|
653
|
437
|
|
Polymer Processing Technology
|
|
|
25
|
15
|
13
|
|
Print Media
|
8
|
4
|
2
|
|
|
|
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
|
75
|
79
|
106
|
119
|
71
|
|
Sheet Metalworking
|
38
|
40
|
53
|
70
|
33
|
|
Software Developer Associate
|
|
|
|
39
|
43
|
|
Sous Chef
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
|
Stonecutting and Stonemasonry
|
13
|
2
|
8
|
7
|
1
|
|
Toolmaking
|
62
|
66
|
65
|
79
|
33
|
|
Vehicle Body Repairs
|
47
|
58
|
46
|
40
|
36
|
|
Wood Manufacturing and Finishing
|
48
|
71
|
59
|
95
|
62
|
|
Grand Total
|
3153
|
3821
|
4843
|
5648
|
3639
|
