Simon Harris seeking ‘significant’ increase in wages for apprenticeships

Simon Harris: It is important that pay rates are not seen as a barrier to participation by potential apprentices. File picture: Brian Lawless

The minimum wage paid to apprentices is to be increased in a bid to entice more people into trades.

Higher Education Minister Simon Harris is to move to improve pay rates, which are as low as €6.84 per hour, and has already started negotiations with employers and other representative bodies in search of significant increases.

Mr Harris said in a press conference last week that he "would be looking" at how to stimulate apprentice numbers in this year's budget. It is understood that measures being considered include expanding schemes which see some apprentices financially supported by the Government to more categories of workers.

More than 50,800 skilled workers will need to be recruited if the Government is to meet its targets for building new homes and retrofitting hundreds of thousands of existing stock, a report from the State training agency Solas found in late 2022.

Asked about the moves, Mr Harris told the Irish Examiner it is important that pay rates are "not seen as a barrier to participation by potential apprentices".

"We are working with partners on this matter, in order to agree on a way forward as we seek to grow the numbers of apprentices," he said.

Mr Harris said the overall rate of those seeking apprenticeships has risen in the last number of years. "This year, figures for the first four months of the year are 30% higher than last year," he said.

"However, we are continuing to make changes to improve the offering for people.

"For example, every single employer is entitled to financial assistance if they take on an apprentice. That assistance increases by €2,666 if the apprentice is from an underrepresented group."

While there are different pay rates for apprentices, depending on their programme, it is important that pay rates are not seen as a barrier to participation by potential apprentices. 

"We are working with partners on this matter, in order to agree a way forward as we seek to grow the numbers of apprentices."

Earlier this year, the Labour Party called for apprentices to be paid the national minimum wage of €11.30 an hour. Senator Mark Wall said the wage was key to attracting the tens of thousands of apprentices needed to retrofit homes. 

Current rates have not changed in a number of years and current first-year apprentices are paid €6.84 an hour.

“From talking to contractors, they are finding it really difficult to retain apprentices and this is confirmed by Connect Trade Union who have said that excluding apprentices from being paid the minimum wage is forcing young workers out of the crafts," said Mr Wall.