Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 May 2022
103. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps his Department is taking to upskill and retrain women who are unemployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24951/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraInclusion is one of the core strategic goals for my Department, and my ambition is to ensure that we provide supports and opportunities for learning to all. In that context I recognise that there are areas where particular efforts and supports are needed for unemployed women engaging in retraining and reskilling opportunities . I also recognise cost can often be a barrier to accessing education, in particular for lone parents or women seeking to return to education. That is why we are working to reduce the cost of education and introduce student grant supports for people.
Women are among the priority cohorts that Education and Training Boards consider in their planning and delivery of further education and training provision. The main FET provision for those who are unemployed is the Skills to Compete initiative. Courses offered under the initiative are built around three key priorities: delivering the essential skills required for modern workplaces; building strong digital skills; and developing the specific vocational skills to secure opportunities in growing sectors and occupations. Skillnet Ireland is committed to increased diversity and inclusion across all sectors of the economy. Although primarily tailored towards businesses and employees, there are a number of initiatives that can help women to upskill in the tech and digital industries.
It is also vital that we ensure that apprenticeships are seen as an option by people across society. Only a very small proportion of apprentices are women, and it’s vital that we support greater diversity. That’s why last month I announced a new gender-based bursary for apprenticeship employers. The bursary, which is worth €2,666, is available to employers who employ apprentices on any national apprenticeship programme with greater than 80% representation of a single gender. It is being implemented with effect from 01 January 2022, and covers all new apprentice registrations from that date on eligible national apprenticeship programmes. This bursary is in addition to the Government supports that apprenticeship employers receive via the craft training allowance and the employer grant.
My Department will continue to lead on the development of supports and opportunities for all learners to develop, upskill and retrain, so that they can develop to their full potential and transition out of unemployment into the work force.
Questions Nos. 104 to 106, inclusive, answered orally.
