Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 September 2021
158. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will increase the remuneration rates for apprentices who have had their apprenticeships extended due to Covid-19 delays beyond their initial training period. [45706/21]
View answerApprenticeship is undertaken under a contract of employment and, for the majority of the 62 apprenticeships that are currently available, the rate of pay is agreed by the employer and apprentice at the start of the programme.
For the 25 craft apprenticeship programmes, applicable pay rates are agreed by the partners within the relevant sector, or are set out in Sectoral Employment Orders for the Construction Sector and Mechanical Engineering Building Services Contracting Sector. Rates vary between occupations and sectors but in all cases craft apprenticeship rates are expressed as a proportion of the qualified rate, increasing yearly from 33% of the qualified rate in year one to 90% in year four. Payment is also based on attainment of relevant skill, knowledge and competence achieved after successfully completing each phase of training. The most up to date rates for these sectors are attached.
ETBs pay a training allowance to craft apprentices undertaking periods of off-the-job training. This training allowance is equivalent to the relevant agreed rate of pay and is paid in addition to either a travel or an accommodation allowance. For the period of off-the-job training, apprentices who have experienced a delay in their apprenticeship may be paid a training allowance at a rate which is one point higher than the rate normally assigned to that phase. This payment is in line with SOLAS internal procedures which govern apprenticeship operations and is currently being implemented across each Education and Training Board, Institutes of Technology, and Technological Universities.
SOLAS and the HEA are working with education and training providers to address the backlog in access to off-the-job training periods (phases 2,4 and 6 of the seven phase craft apprenticeship). All off-the-job training is reverting to full class attendance as of September, doubling the capacity which was available during COVID-19 measures. Additional interventions are being rolled out across the sector and details on these will be made available over the coming weeks.
