Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 October 2023
142. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science how Budget 2024 will invest in apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45536/23]
View answerThrough Budget 2024, I am continuing to invest in our apprenticeship system. Apprenticeships have a crucial role to play in meeting Ireland’s skills needs now and into the future, and significantly contribute to meeting the Government’s commitments on Housing for All, and the Climate Action Plan.
An additional core €67m investment will help to grow the apprenticeship system, and in particular will allow craft apprenticeship to move from providing 13,000 places in 2022 to over 16,000 places in 2024, and reduce the length of time an apprentice waits for training.
Furthermore, I want to make apprenticeship an attractive career path and one that is accessible for all young people. In that regard, I am delighted to confirm that there will be increased funding of €400,000 for a bursary for apprentices from under-represented groups. It is proposed that the funding will support apprenticeship learners in all ETBs and at TUS Limerick and Athlone, MTU, ATU Galway and TU Dublin.
More broadly, I recognise the impact that the cost of living is having on our apprentices. This is why I am particularly pleased that apprentices will benefit from €3.8m to enable a one-third reduction in the Apprenticeship Student Contribution Fee for those attending higher education institutions in the 2023/24 academic year. This is targeted at relieving the immediate pressure associated with making this payment. It is anticipated that circa 11,000 apprentices in higher education will benefit from this measure.
