Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 July 2020
458. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Education and Skills the estimated average cost per apprenticeship; the estimated average cost per craft apprentice; the estimated average cost for a new apprenticeship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18302/20]
View answerThe total estimated annual cost per apprentice in craft apprenticeships, which are offered at level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) is €7,159. This figure comes from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Spending Review of Apprenticeships published last year.
The review also provides an average annual cost of €9,877 for new apprenticeships. However, this figure includes the development costs for these new programmes, so it somewhat overstates the true ongoing cost of providing new apprenticeship places. Due to the majority of these programmes only coming into operation in recent years and the overall population being relatively low there is insufficient information to derive a reliable average cost, however this will be kept under review as greater numbers come on stream.
