More than 10,000 apprentices in limbo unable to progress with programmes

Plumbers and electricians are among the sectors worst affected by the delays. File picture: Howard Crowdy

More than half of all registered apprentices are waiting to progress to the next phase of their training, it has emerged.

Some 10,000 apprentices are stuck on waiting lists with many unable to access off-the-job training with training centres and workshops closed for nine of the last 14 months.

Craft apprenticeships, including plumbers and electricians, are the worst affected, with 3,500 waiting more than a year for essential training, delaying their qualification and harming their earning potential.

“It's a major, major problem,” Andrew Brownlee, chief executive of further education and training agency Solas said.

“People haven't been able to avail of apprenticeship training for the guts of a year."

Craft apprenticeships are the worst affected.

The matter was raised in the Dáil in recent days by Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh, who said waiting lists are "out of control", spiralling from under 7,000 in March to more than 10,000 now.

“Apprentices I have spoken with feel abandoned," she said.

This has serious implications for not only their education but also their income. Through no fault of their own, many apprentices will be trapped on apprentice wages for years longer than they should.” 

While Covid-19 is a factor, Ms Conway-Walsh says this is largely the result of years of under-investment in apprenticeships.

"This is evident in the fact that over 3,500 apprentices have been waiting over a year to access their course.”

Now, we face a backlog of training that needs to be done to allow apprentices to become qualified tradespeople and other forms of professionals, she said.

Craft apprenticeships

Craft apprenticeships, which account for more than 40% of existing programmes, have been the “most heavily impacted” by the pandemic, according to Minister of State for Skills and Further Education Niall Collins.

However, the Government is committed to a “significant increase” in onsite attendance in the next academic year and this will assist institutions and providers in preparing and organising “the safe return of larger numbers in the autumn,” he said.

The Government has also approved €20m in funding to expand apprenticeship training in a bid to help clear the backlog.

In a statement, Solas said all phase 2 training is continuing throughout the summer with more than 720 apprentices due to start training in July and August. 

Under current public health guidelines, capacity remains restricted to 60% but it is hoped this can return to “full capacity” from September.

The agency is also working with education and training boards on an emergency response to increase numbers on site in the rest of 2021 and throughout 2022.

Apprenticeship Action Plan

In April, the Government launched a five-year Apprenticeship Action Plan that aims to deliver 10,000 new apprentice registrations per year by 2025.

While the backlog in apprenticeships is “absolutely a concern”, Mr Brownlee
said he didn’t believe there would be any issues getting to the 10,000 registration targets a year because he expects this will be driven by new apprenticeships coming on-stream rather than the traditional craft apprenticeships.

“Plumbing, electrical, the construction trades, that's where the real log jam is, and that's what we're focusing on, but for all the other great apprenticeship opportunities, and there are new ones coming in by the day, there would be less concern."