Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 31 May 2023
204. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a breakdown for the current and capital budget allocations for the Apprenticeship Employer Grant of the Revised Estimates for 2023; if there are plans to increase the grant amount; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26449/23]
View answerThe introduction of the Apprentice Employer Grant of €2,000 per apprentice per annum was a significant deliverable under the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025. Its introduction meant that, for the first time, employers of all apprentices will now have access to financial support, either through direct payment of allowances to apprentices or through this employer grant. In this way, employers of all apprentices will have some of the cost of the apprenticeship defrayed, promoting engagement with the non-craft programmes and balancing Government priorities in terms of meeting strategic skills needs through targeted interventions. It will also encourage more employers to engage with a wider range of apprenticeships and help to encourage the development of new programmes. The grant provides financial support from the State to apprentice employers of one of the 42 apprenticeships that have been established since 2016 and do not attract payment of off-the-job training allowances. The grant was officially launched on the 26 May 2022, with eligible employers invited by email to apply for the grant via an online portal system. New apprenticeships introduced in 2023 and subsequent years will also be included in the grant scheme. From end of May 2022 to end April 2023 there have been 2000 new apprentice registrations on programmes eligible for the grant. As of the beginning of May 2023, 1338 applications had been received, 748 of these applications paid to date, in the sum of €1,605,000.
