- 2022Implementation
Background
Ireland's Action plan for apprenticeship 2021-25 sets out new ways of structuring, funding, and promoting apprenticeship to make it more accessible to employers and learners.
Objectives
The Action Plan aims to deliver an apprenticeship system that is flexible and responsive, providing a strong value proposition for employers and potential apprentices, attractive and easy to engage with, and delivers high standards and sought after qualifications.
The main objectives of the plan are:
- a high quality and innovative approach - apprenticeship will deliver the highest quality of work-based learning (WBL), supporting and demonstrating innovation to empower apprentices and employers to meet current and emerging skills needs;
- employer-driven responses - apprenticeship will be recognised and valued by employers across all sectors of the economy as a key mechanism for building a highly skilled workforce, contributing to productivity and sustainable growth;
- apprenticeship for all - the profile of the apprenticeship population will more closely reflect the profile of the general population;
- a valued option - apprenticeships will be available and recognised as a work based learning opportunity, providing sought after qualifications across the tertiary education and training sector;
- a single, coherent system - there will be a single apprenticeship system underpinned by a clear governance framework with strong stakeholder input.
Description
Ireland’s Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-25 was launched in 2021 by the Ministers for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Minister of State for Skills and Further Education. The plan aims to expand the types of programmes available and increase the number of apprenticeships to 10 000 per year by 2025. The plan is to ensure equity of access by creating simplified routes to entry, and improved flexibility within the system so that underrepresented groups are able to participate in apprenticeship.
The plan contains 13 key deliverables, among which creating a coherent and representative governance structure; removing barriers to employer participation through financial and non-financial incentives; increasing availability of apprenticeships in the public sector; creating inclusive and accessible structure. The plan foresees measures for setting up apprenticeship governance structures, promotional activities, providing incentives to employers to take apprentices and expanding apprenticeship to new occupations and programmes.
The plan brings all apprenticeships together under one roof in a new National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) with responsibility for management, oversight and development of the apprenticeship system and implementing the Action plan. The NAO is a single contact point for employers, apprentices, and FET providers for information and advice. The NAO is also to facilitate...
Ireland’s Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-25 was launched in 2021 by the Ministers for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and the Minister of State for Skills and Further Education. The plan aims to expand the types of programmes available and increase the number of apprenticeships to 10 000 per year by 2025. The plan is to ensure equity of access by creating simplified routes to entry, and improved flexibility within the system so that underrepresented groups are able to participate in apprenticeship.
The plan contains 13 key deliverables, among which creating a coherent and representative governance structure; removing barriers to employer participation through financial and non-financial incentives; increasing availability of apprenticeships in the public sector; creating inclusive and accessible structure. The plan foresees measures for setting up apprenticeship governance structures, promotional activities, providing incentives to employers to take apprentices and expanding apprenticeship to new occupations and programmes.
The plan brings all apprenticeships together under one roof in a new National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) with responsibility for management, oversight and development of the apprenticeship system and implementing the Action plan. The NAO is a single contact point for employers, apprentices, and FET providers for information and advice. The NAO is also to facilitate bringing together statutory functions of SOLAS (the national authority for FET) and the Higher Education Authority (HEA) in relationship to apprenticeship.
The plan also foresees a new National Apprenticeship Alliance (NAA), representative of apprenticeship stakeholders, to create a single coherent system.
The 2022 NAO's annual report noted upward trends in the number of active employers, apprenticeship registrations and population.
In 2022, a number of activities took place.
Setting up governance structures
In 2022, the NAO was established, following the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding between SOLAS (the national further education and training authority) and the HEA. The NAO appointed its first Director and started its work plan.
The NAA was established and met five times in 2022, providing strong support to the NAO. In addition, the Access and Inclusion Subcommittee was established that is to ensure that links with second level schools, community education, youth justice programmes, FET provision and Higher Education are achieved as regards the needs of the national population.
Promoting apprenticeships
A promotional radio, digital and social media campaign to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities #GenerationApprenticeship was launched and achieved over five million impressions and more than 120 000 engagements via social media by end of November 2022.
The Apprentice of the Year awards were launched at the inaugural event attended by 500 participants in October 2022. Apprentices were nominated by their employer or training provider and judged on their outstanding skills and qualities in the transversal skills of leadership, teamwork, creativity and problem solving. Over 40 print articles related to the apprentice of the year awards have been published to-date.
Incentives/grants to employers
A new fast and convenient employer grant online application system was designed, tested, and launched; by end of 2022, 675 employers received a grant through it.
An updated gender bursary provides a financial incentive to employers to hire women apprentices. The updated bursary extends to all apprenticeships with a greater than 80% representation of a single gender in order to encourage gender balance across the apprenticeship system. As of December 2022, 1 946 female apprentices were in training, including 349 women in craft apprenticeships.
Creating new and increasing the number of apprenticeships
Four new apprenticeships were launched: bar manager; cybersecurity practitioner; transport operations and commercial driver; and wind turbine maintenance technician. The wind turbine technician apprenticeship was the first dedicated green skills/green energy programme in the national apprenticeship system.
Open competition via the public sector jobs portal was launched in October 2022 to recruit of over 100 ICT apprentices in 23 different public sector organisations. Successful applicants will undertake a two-year full-time ICT apprenticeship programme in software development, computer networking or cyber security. This contributes to strengthening digital and ICT skills in the civil and public service, in line with the Government strategy.
The Higher Education Authority Bill, signed into Irish law, in October 2022, removed barriers to developing apprenticeships in professions that were excluded previously, such as agriculture, horticulture or fishing.
Investment in apprenticeships
The Government allocated EUR 17.2 million for capital investment to respond to the growing demand for apprenticeships. In addition to the capital investment, there was an equivalent increase in staffing to build the training capacity for apprenticeships across FET.
Bodies responsible
- Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS)
- Further Education and Training Authority (SOLAS)
- National Apprenticeship Office (NAO)
- National Apprenticeship Alliance (NAA)
- Education and training boards (ETBs)
Target groups
Learners
- Learners in upper secondary, including apprentices
- Young people (15-29 years old)
- Young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs)
- Learners with migrant background, including refugees
- Learners at risk of early leaving or/and early leavers
- Learners with disabilities
- Adult learners
- Older workers and employees (55 - 64 years old)
- Unemployed and jobseekers
- Persons in employment, including those at risk of unemployment
- Low-skilled/qualified persons
- Learners from other groups at risk of exclusion (minorities, people with fewer opportunities due to geographical location or social-economic disadvantaged position)
Education professionals
- Teachers
- Trainers
- School leaders
- Adult educators
Entities providing VET
- Companies
- Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)
- VET providers (all kinds)
Other stakeholders
- National, regional and local authorities
Thematic categories
Modernising VET offer and delivery
This thematic category looks at what and how individuals learn, how learning content and learning outcomes in initial and continuing VET are defined, adapted and updated. First and foremost, it examines how VET standards, curricula, programmes and training courses are updated and modernised or new ones created. Updated and renewed VET content ensures that learners acquire a balanced mix of competences that address modern demands, and are more closely aligned with the realities of the labour market, including key competences, digital competences and skills for green transition and sustainability, both sector-specific and across sectors. Using learning outcomes as a basis is important to facilitate this modernisation, including modularisation of VET programmes. Updating and developing teaching and learning materials to support the above is also part of the category.
The thematic category continues to focus on strengthening high-quality and inclusive apprenticeships and work-based learning in real-life work environments and in line with the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships. It looks at expanding apprenticeship to continuing vocational training and at developing VET programmes at EQF levels 5-8 for better permeability and lifelong learning and to support the need for higher vocational skills.
This thematic category also focuses on VET delivery through a mix of open, digital and participative learning environments, including workplaces conducive to learning, which are flexible, more adaptable to the ways individuals learn, and provide more access and outreach to various groups of learners, diversifying modes of learning and exploiting the potential of digital learning solutions and blended learning to complement face-to-face learning.
Centres of vocational excellence that connect VET to innovation and skill ecosystems and facilitate stronger cooperation with business and research also fall into this category.
This thematic sub-category covers all developments related to work-based learning (WBL) elements in VET programmes and apprenticeships which continue to be important in the policy agenda. It includes measures to stabilise the offer of apprenticeships, the implementation of the European framework for quality and effective apprenticeships, and using the EU on-demand support services and policy learning initiatives among the Member States. It also covers further expansion of apprenticeships and WBL to continuing VET (CVET), for transition to work and inclusion of vulnerable groups, and for improving citizens’ qualification levels.
Supporting lifelong learning culture and increasing participation
Lifelong learning refers to all learning (formal, non-formal or informal) taking place at all stages in life and resulting in an improvement or update in knowledge, skills, competences and attitudes or in participation in society from a personal, civic, cultural, social or employment-related perspective (Erasmus+, Glossary of terms, https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-d/glossary-common-terms). A systemic approach to CVET is crucial to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.
This broad thematic category looks at ways of creating opportunities and ensuring access to re-skilling and upskilling pathways, allowing individuals to progress smoothly in their learning throughout their lives with better permeability between general and vocational education and training, and better integration and compatibility between initial and continuing VET and with higher education. Individuals should be supported in acquiring and updating their skills and competences and navigating easily through education and training systems. Strategies and campaigns that promote VET and LLL as an attractive and high-quality pathway, providing quality lifelong guidance and tailored support to design learning and career paths, and various incentives (financial and non-financial) to attract and support participation in VET and LLL fall into this thematic category as well.
This thematic category also includes many initiatives on making VET inclusive and ensuring equal education and training opportunities for various groups of learners, regardless of their personal and economic background and place of residence – especially those at risk of disadvantage or exclusion, such as persons with disabilities, the low-skilled and low-qualified, minorities, migrants, refugees and others.
This thematic sub-category refers to initiatives that promote VET and lifelong learning implemented at any level and by any stakeholder. It also covers measures to ensure and broaden access to information about VET to various target groups, including targeted information and promotional campaigns (e.g. for parents, adult learners, vulnerable groups). Among others, it includes national skill competitions and fairs organised to attract learners to VET.
This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of incentives that encourage learners to take part in VET and lifelong learning; VET providers to improve, broaden and update their offer; companies to provide places for apprenticeship and work-based learning, and to stimulate and support learning of their employees. It also includes measures addressing specific challenges of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) willing to create work-based learning opportunities in different sectors. Incentives can be financial (e.g. grants, allowances, tax incentives, levy/grant mechanisms, vouchers, training credits, individual learning accounts) and non-financial (e.g. information/advice on funding opportunities, technical support, mentoring).