A key commitment of the ‘Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025’ is to grow the number of apprenticeship registrations across the public service, including local authorities, to reach 750 annual registrations by 2025. This represents a more than seven-fold increase on 2020 registrations and will support a long-term goal of 7% of the apprentice population being employed by public service employers.
At the end of 2022, of the total apprentice population of 26,109, there were approximately 320 apprentices registered with public service employers such as the Civil Service, the Defence Forces, and Local Authorities. These apprentices were registered across over 16 different apprenticeship programmes in areas as diverse as cyber-security, accounting technician, recruitment, heavy vehicle mechanics, and stone-cutting and stone-masonry. When commercial and non-commercial semi-state organisations are included, this number becomes 938 apprentices.
It is recognised that the diversity of the public service provides a wide basis for involvement with the range of existing apprenticeships and those programmes in development. Apprenticeship provides an opportunity to target and widen the recruitment pool for both generalist and specialist roles within the public service.
DFHERIS officials have undertaken a number of actions in order to make progress towards achieving this commitment: Several general and sector-focused information sessions on apprenticeship have been held. A Working Group has been established, representing Government Departments and agencies and local authorities, to develop a Public Service Apprenticeship Recruitment Plan by summer 2023. The Group’s work is based on surveying over 100 organisations in relation to their skills needs. More specifically, there has been extensive bilateral engagement with the HSE and Department of Health in relation to a commitment in the Action Plan to explore a healthcare assistant apprenticeship programme for the HSE and the options for how this might be piloted.
My officials have reached out to their counterparts in the Department of Health for the current position on development of this apprenticeship and they have advised as follows:
The HSE conducted a feasibility study on the creation of QQI level 5 Apprenticeship Model for Health Care Assistants (HCAs). A wide range of both internal and external stakeholders were interviewed. In total, 16 recommendations were proposed widely categorised under headings such as perception of role, attraction and retention, development of HCA, and the Apprenticeship programme.
Many stakeholders highlighted the benefits of introducing an apprenticeship programme mainly from the perspective of recruitment and retention, re-framing the role in public’s perception to position it as a career with a path to develop, and finally as a trial to start a trend for creating a range of apprenticeships within HSE. The study also acknowledged the operational challenges and difficulties linked with the creation of a new Apprenticeship Programme.
To date, the HSE has engaged with DFHERIS, DoH, NAO, QQI and SOLAS to have preliminary meetings to find out about the application and validation process for the apprenticeship programme. HSE is now preparing a business plan identifying resources required to implement a two-year pilot apprenticeship programme. This business plan will be submitted through Estimates process for 2024. Preparatory work of 12 to 14 months duration is required prior to implementing the two-year programme. This preparatory work can be completed only if the dedicated resources are prioritised within the estimates process for 2024.
