Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
1455. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of females in apprenticeship courses per annum for each of the years from 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; his plans to increase female participation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40615/22]
View answerOne of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is "Apprenticeship for All". In other words, ensuring that the profile of the apprenticeship population more closely reflects the profile of the general population. As per the latest data available there are 1,443 female apprentices, up from 60 in 2016 and only 665 at the end of 2019, and representing 6% of the overall apprentice population. While this increase is mainly due to the expansion of apprenticeship into new areas, it is also important to note that female representation in craft apprenticeship has doubled in the last 2/3 years and participation in industry areas such as Polymer Processing Technology, Manufacturing, and Engineering is also increasing. Women also feature more strongly in the new apprenticeships in the hospitality, healthcare, property, sales, biopharma and ICT sectors. Targets and interventions for specific groups will be detailed through an Equity of Access subcommittee of the National Apprenticeship Alliance to ensure that the voice of under-represented groups is integral to the development of the apprenticeship system. The actions set out in the Plan build on the outcomes of the 2018 Review of Pathways to Participation in Apprenticeship which has already resulted in a significant widening of measures to support increased visibility of apprenticeships. The Action Plan contains a number of key deliverables designed to secure significantly greater diversity by:- including the voice of under-represented cohorts in apprenticeship; putting in place an inclusive apprenticeship access and delivery structure; and monitoring and assessing targets and developing appropriate interventions On 14th April the Minister announced a new gender-based bursary for apprenticeship employers as part of the national Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025. The bursary, which is worth €2,666, is available to employers who employ apprentices in the minority gender on any national apprenticeship programme with greater than 80% representation of a single gender. It is being implemented with effect from 01 January 2022, and covers all new apprentice registrations from that date on eligible national apprenticeship programmes. The apprenticeship gender-based bursary is an expansion of the ‘female bursary’ available to craft apprenticeship employers prior to 2022. Of the 66 programmes, currently 41 of these meet the eligibility criteria for the bursary. This bursary is in addition to the Government supports that apprenticeship employers receive via the craft training allowance and the Employer Grant. Details of the number of females in apprenticeship courses per annum for each of the years from 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022 in tabular form are attached.
|
Apprenticeship |
Female- 2019 |
Female-2020 |
Female-2021 |
Female- 2022 (June) |
|
|
Arboriculture |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Accounting Technician |
post 2016 |
149 |
192 |
186 |
192 |
|
Agricultural Mechanics |
craft |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Aircraft Mechanics |
craft |
16 |
17 |
26 |
21 |
|
Auctioneering and Property Services |
post 2016 |
72 |
108 |
173 |
159 |
|
Bar Manager |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
Brick and Stonelaying |
craft |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Butcher |
post 2016 |
2 |
3 |
11 |
13 |
|
Carpentry and Joinery |
craft |
7 |
6 |
9 |
9 |
|
CGI technical Artist |
post 2016 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
|
Chef de Partie |
post 2016 |
14 |
15 |
19 |
23 |
|
Commercial Driver |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Commis Chef |
post 2016 |
23 |
21 |
40 |
35 |
|
Construction Plant Fitting |
craft |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
|
Cybersecurity |
post 2016 |
4 |
8 |
9 |
11 |
|
Cybersecurity Practitioner |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Electrical |
craft |
47 |
62 |
117 |
116 |
|
Electrical Instrumentation |
craft |
7 |
8 |
13 |
16 |
|
Electronic Security Systems |
post 2016 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
|
Engineering Services Management |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Equipment Services Engineer |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Farriery |
craft |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
GEO Driller |
post 2016 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Hair Dresser |
post 2016 |
11 |
84 |
224 |
205 |
|
Health Care Assistant |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
48 |
33 |
|
Heavy Vehicle Mechanics |
craft |
3 |
4 |
6 |
7 |
|
Industrial Electrical Engineer |
post 2016 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
Industrial Insulation |
craft |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Instrumentation |
craft |
2 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
Insurance Practitioner |
post 2016 |
103 |
125 |
132 |
79 |
|
International Financial Services Associate |
post 2016 |
11 |
12 |
9 |
10 |
|
International Financial Services Specialist |
post 2016 |
11 |
17 |
13 |
14 |
|
Laboratory Analyst |
post 2016 |
11 |
22 |
35 |
35 |
|
Laboratory Technician |
post 2016 |
12 |
13 |
19 |
16 |
|
Lean Sigma Manager |
post 2016 |
0 |
10 |
25 |
27 |
|
Logistics Associate |
post 2016 |
18 |
28 |
43 |
30 |
|
Manufacturing Engineer (Level 7) |
post 2016 |
5 |
6 |
16 |
18 |
|
Manufacturing Technology (Level 6) |
post 2016 |
11 |
17 |
22 |
22 |
|
Mechanical Automation & Maintenance Fitting |
craft |
7 |
9 |
8 |
7 |
|
Metal Fabrication |
craft |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Motor Mechanics |
craft |
15 |
19 |
41 |
43 |
|
Network Engineer Associate |
post 2016 |
7 |
10 |
6 |
6 |
|
OEM Engineer |
post 2016 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Painting and Decorating |
craft |
5 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
|
Pipefitting |
post 2016 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Plastering |
craft |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Plumbing |
craft |
4 |
5 |
4 |
7 |
|
Polymer Processing Technology |
post 2016 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
|
Principal Engineer |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
4 |
|
Recruitment |
post 2016 |
0 |
14 |
24 |
27 |
|
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning |
craft |
1 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
|
Retail Supervision |
post 2016 |
38 |
79 |
93 |
88 |
|
Sales |
post 2016 |
0 |
8 |
12 |
13 |
|
Scaffolding |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Sheet Metalworking |
craft |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Software Developer Associate |
post 2016 |
28 |
47 |
61 |
59 |
|
Sous Chef |
post 2016 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
|
Stonecutting and Stonemasonry |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Supply Chain Associate |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
3 |
|
Supply Chain Manager |
post 2016 |
0 |
3 |
12 |
14 |
|
Supply Chain Specialist |
post 2016 |
0 |
3 |
11 |
11 |
|
Telecommunications and Data Net. Tech. |
post 2016 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
|
Toolmaking |
craft |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Vehicle Body Repairs |
craft |
2 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
|
Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician |
post 2016 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Wood Manufacturing and Finishing |
craft |
1 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Grand Total |
665 |
1017 |
1535 |
1443 |
