Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 October 2023
21. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the engagements his Department is conducting in conjunction with the Department of Further and Higher Education with regard to the role of apprenticeship schemes in businesses within the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43845/23]
View answerThe Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, along with its enterprise agencies, works closely with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science to ensure the availability across the economy of relevant talent and skills, which are key enablers of enterprise productivity and innovation. The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science is the lead Department for skills policy and apprenticeships, which are framed by Ireland’s National Skills Strategy 2025, published in 2016, and the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025, published in April 2021.
To keep pace with future change, Ireland’s higher and further education model is evolving, with increased emphasis on apprenticeships, transferrable skills, and flexible education responding to emerging skills needs. Aprenticeship.ie is a one-stop shop which connects job seekers of all ages with approved employers who are currently seeking to hire apprentices. At present, there are over 70 programmes available, leading to qualifications in areas such as accountancy, laboratory technician, engineering, vehicle mechanic, and in healthcare. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship is aiming to expand the types of programmes available and increase the number of apprenticeships to 10,000 per year by 2025.
In April 2023, the 'One More Job' initiative was launched to help employers taking on apprentices. The initiative was developed by the National Apprenticeship Office with Enterprise Ireland and apprenticeship partners around the country. It provides tailored financial and training supports to Irish micro and small businesses who create ‘One More Job’ by employing one or more apprentices in 2023. These businesses can be in any sector and can take on apprentices on construction-related programmes which will help to meet Housing for All targets, or on any of the more than 40 new programmes introduced since 2016. The supports include free online mentoring for employers new to training apprentices, grants towards training costs, and guidance from the One More Job team during the first year of training.
IDA Ireland has supported the development and roll out of the new consortia-led apprenticeships, since the start of their development in 2014, and view them as having an important role to play in enhancing and broadening the talent pool available to the FDI sector. A key focus for IDA Ireland is the operation of apprenticeships in disciplines most relevant to supported FDI high technology sectors such as ICT, Medical Devices, Engineering, Bio Pharmaceuticals, and International Financial Services.
Alongside the delivery of the Government’s Action Plan for Apprenticeships 2021 to 2025, other developments such as the creation of a new National Apprenticeship Office to drive reforms, providing a new grant for employers, targeting underrepresented groups, and the rebranding of some apprenticeship programmes to move them away from the perception of pure trades roles, are all extremely positive actions to ensure the increased uptake of apprenticeships.
