Apprenticeship Scheme Expanded With 25 New Proposals

Twenty-five new apprenticeship proposals have been put forward as part of an expansion of the current range of programmes under the Apprenticeship scheme.

Making the announcement, the Minister for Education and Skills, Jan O'Sullivan, said that the proposals are part of ongoing work to ensure that the system remains responsive to economic and employment needs.

The new proposals are the result of an evaluation process undertaken by the Apprenticeship Council. The Council has assigned these 25 new programmes Category 1 status, meaning that they are both sustainable and at an advanced stage of design, planning and industry/education collaboration. They will now enter a detailed development phase.

The 25 proposals are focussed on a wide range of skills and sectors, including Manufacturing and Engineering, Tourism and Sport, Financial Services, Information Technology, Transport Distribution and Logistics, and Business Administration and Management.

The new types of apprenticeships being proposed today are very flexible, ranging in duration from two to four years, and will be offered at Levels 5 to 9 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

Speaking at the announcement, Minister O’Sullivan said: "I want to thank the Apprenticeship Council for all the work it has done in bringing us to this point. It represents an important milestone in what has been a concentrated effort to improve the options available to those who wish to participate in apprenticeships, whether they are employers or prospective students.

"I can see from the volume of proposals received that there is a genuine interest from employers in the apprenticeship model. Employers gain not only from taking on committed and ambitious young people, but also from engaging with the education and training system, which ensures that apprentices have the full range of skills required by employers."

(MH)