Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 October 2016
84. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills the restrictions SOLAS places on education training boards, ETBs, in procuring new training providers for traineeships or apprenticeships; and if his Department has any concerns that restrictions on ETBs in procuring new training providers is holding back the expansion of these learning programmes to new skills areas. [32445/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraSOLAS has advised that the scope of contract training and the terms and conditions for both suppliers and buyers are detailed in the procurement documents as published on the Government e-tenders website.
SOLAS informs me that there are no restrictions in relation to the procurement of training providers for traineeships. Delivery of these programmes can be achieved either through contracted training or through the use of in-house ETB resources, on the basis of identified needs as agreed in the context of the annual Further Education and Training Services Plan.
The craft apprenticeship system is a blended alternance training programme. There is no procurement of apprenticeship training as the on-the-job element is delivered directly by employers with the off-the-job element being delivered by trainers in the ETBs and tutors in the Institutes of Technology or Colleges of Further Education.
A wider set of education and training providers are becoming involved in new apprenticeships through participating in corsortia of employers and providers responding to calls for proposals from the Apprenticeship Council.
