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Apprenticeship Programmes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2021

Thursday, 8 July 2021

Ceisteanna (31, 278)

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

31. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the degree to which he is confident that adequate apprenticeships or retraining places remain available throughout 2021 and thereafter for the foreseeable future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36764/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Bernard Durkan

Ceist:

278. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the extent to which he expects the number of training and apprenticeship places to be sufficient to meet the demand in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37115/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 278 together.

Reskilling and upskilling is essential to equipping workers whose jobs are unlikely to return in the ‘new normal’ with the skills and knowledge to shift into new roles / occupations in growth sectors of the economy. Continued investment in skills and human capital development delivered by the further and higher education system is critical to sustainable employment creation on a balanced regional basis.

As part of the Government’s response to the labour market and skills effects of the pandemic, a range of measures were introduced as a response to upskilling and reskilling needs of individuals and businesses through the July Jobs Stimulus and Budget 2021. These measures are providing 35,000 education and training places to help those who were displaced by the effects of the pandemic. A further 15,000 places were announced as part of the skills package in Budget 2021. Combined these measures include places on the Skills to Complete initiative, additional places through Skillnet supported programmes, funding of the Apprenticeship Incentivisation scheme, the roll-out of retrofit training across the country and the expansion of the range of short-duration, part-time and online upskilling and reskilling offerings available for recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

Education and Training Boards (ETBs) plan their further education and training provision every year with the submission of quantitative and qualitative data through the SOLAS funding allocation system, taking into account the needs of Learners, Enterprise and Communities in their area.

A key strength of the apprenticeship model, as highlighted in the recent Action Plan for Apprenticeship, is that it is a demand-led approach to meeting workforce and skill requirements in our economy. For example in the case of craft apprenticeship, the number of places is determined by employers, with off-the-job training provided to all registered apprentices. Apprenticeships established since 2016 have one or more intakes per annum with the take-up determined by employer engagement and available apprentice jobs provided by employers.

The detailed and comprehensive Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 launched on 19th April last sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeships to make apprenticeship accessible to employers and learners. The actions set out in the plan seek to deliver on a target of 10,000 apprenticeship registrations per annum by 2025.

Government is committed under the Action Plan to working with employers to promote, enable and support the recruitment of apprentices. Measures to support employer engagement in apprenticeship, particularly within the SME sector, will be integral to the delivery of the target of 10,000 new apprentice registrations per annum by 2025. These measures encompass both financial and non-financial and will include an annual grant for employers not benefiting from the existing mechanism of State-funded craft apprentice training allowances for off-the-job training. This employer grant will be administered by the new National Apprenticeship Office and the level of grant will be announced by year end.

In the meantime the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme has been extended and the scheme will now include all apprentices registered to the end of this year to ensure that apprenticeship will play a key part in supporting economic recovery at the reopening of the economy following COVID-19. The Scheme comprises a €2,000 payment when employers register a new apprentice, followed by an additional €1,000 payment one year later where that apprentice is retained.

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