Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 October 2022
171. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his actions to increase the number of disabled people in the apprenticeship system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52065/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt present all 66 national apprenticeships are structured on a full-time basis. Information is sought at the point of registration on any additional supports that may be needed due to a disability. Education and training providers offer learning and other supports to apprentices during their training and many employers also provide accommodations in the workplace to apprentices with disabilities. Currently a total of 640 apprentices, or just under 3%, have declared one or more disabilities, and are receiving additional supports. A majority of these, 400 apprentices, or 62.5% of the total who identified as having a disability, identified themselves as having dyslexia. A further 25.5% identified other disabilities related to learning, while 12% did not specify what disability they had.
One of the five overarching objectives of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 is "Apprenticeship for All" by ensuring that the profile of the apprenticeship population will more closely reflect the profile of the general population. The Plan promotes general access, diversity, and inclusion in apprenticeship by suggested targeted supports to encourage participation from under-represented groups including those with disabilities, women and those from ethnic minorities.
The expanding range of opportunities available within apprenticeship, as well as changing work practices in traditional areas, provide a step towards increasing opportunity for persons with a disability and other traditionally under-represented groups, however relying on a broader range of apprenticeships is not sufficient to provide equity of opportunity to marginalised groups.
Targets and interventions for specific groups will be detailed through an Equity of Access subcommittee of the National Apprenticeship Alliance to ensure that the voice of under-represented groups is integral to the development of the apprenticeship system. It is envisaged that the subcommittee will include representation that ensures links with second level, community education, youth justice programmes, broader FET provision and higher education are represented.
The National Apprenticeship Office will increase the visibility of underrepresented groups in apprenticeship literature and promotional material to reflect the participation and positive experience of people from all backgrounds and communities, as well as the availability of assistive supports.
The actions set out in the Plan build on the outcomes of the 2018 Review of Pathways to Participation in Apprenticeship which has already resulted in a significant widening of measures to support increased visibility of apprenticeships.
Specific actions in the Action Plan include:
- An employer survey will determine baseline employer attitude and extent of knowledge of supports available to employers for supporting employees with a disability.
- Targets and interventions for specific groups will be detailed to ensure that the voice of under-represented groups is integral to the development of the apprenticeship system.
- Targets for participation by under-represented groups, and additional specific actions to support those target groups will be set in conjunction with the Equity of Access Subcommittee and will be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that interventions are effective in supporting increased diversity of the apprentice population.
- An apprentice bursary/support scheme will be established to fund up to 100 apprentices per year who are experiencing severe socioeconomic disadvantage and who are from target groups, including lone parents, people with disabilities, Travellers and Roma.
- Access to apprenticeship programmes and pre-apprenticeship courses will be clearly labelled as such, with progression routes into apprenticeship clearly identified and information on these courses will be published on www. apprenticeship.ie.
- All apprentice jobs are advertised on www.apprenticejobs.ie, with information on apprenticeship now accessible from the CAO website. A dedicated apprentice guidance line has been established to support this initial period of increased visibility of apprenticeship to school leavers
- Extending the bursary of €2,666 which is paid by SOLAS to employers of female apprentices in the 25 craft apprenticeships to encourage them to employ female apprentices to all apprenticeship programmes with greater than 80% representation of a single gender. This is being implemented with effect from 01 January 2022, and covers all new apprentice registrations from that date on eligible national apprenticeship programmes.
As set out in the Programme for Government and elaborated in the Action Plan there must be clear, demonstrated engagement with apprenticeship by the public service to embed the apprenticeship model within the national employer base. A target of 750 new apprentice registrations per annum will be delivered across the public service by 2025. Apprenticeship provides an opportunity to target and widen the recruitment pool for both generalist and specialist roles within the public service and as a means to meeting commitments under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy such as increasing the statutory target of 3% of employees with disabilities in the public service to 6% by 2024.
The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) does not fall within the remit of the DFHERIS. However, I do recognise the intersection that is apparent between our policy objective of developing an inclusive and accessible apprenticeship system for all and the unintended consequences of the current lack of alignment between the WSS and Apprenticeship.
The Wage Subsidy Scheme (WSS) is a financial employment support to private sector employers, the objective of which is to encourage employers to employ people with disabilities and thereby increase the numbers of people with disabilities participating in the open labour market.
Currently, the Scheme does not recognise those employees who are engaged in apprenticeship programmes. As such, DEASPs current criteria for accessing the WSS is incompatible with apprenticeships
DFHERIS officials have engaged with DEASP counterparts to ensure that between the APA and the WSS, barriers will not arise to prevent or dissuade interested employers and candidates from pursuing their career goals through Apprenticeship.
I am advised that DEASP will be carrying out a review of the Wage Subsidy Scheme this year as part of its commitments under the Comprehensive Employment Strategy. As part of this review DEASP will be conducting a consultation on the scheme from the perspective of employers and people with disabilities.
I am satisfied that these measures and the implementation process for the Apprenticeship Action Plan overall will have a significant impact in ensuring greater diversity in the apprenticeship population as a whole.
