Backlogs leave thousands of 'distressed' apprentices waiting more than six months for training

The anonymous group of apprentices and parents said the longest waiting time for similar apprenticeships in countries such as France, Germany and Denmark is between four and six weeks.

Apprentices have been left in "very distressing" limbo as just under 9,000 are currently waiting for off-the-job training, almost 4,000 of whom have been waiting for more than six months to progress.

Some 5,150 apprentices have been waiting for up to six months while a further 3,817 have been waiting for more than six months. In addition to learning on the job, apprentices are required to learn in an education centre to progress and become qualified in their chosen field.

The number of those waiting has decreased since August 2021 when almost 12,000 apprentices were waiting for training, but has increased again by 1,389 since August 2023.

A “very concerned” group of apprentices and parents who wish to remain anonymous said some apprentices have been told they may be waiting for another 12 months before they receive the training due to backlogs.

They said the longest waiting time for similar apprenticeships in countries such as France, Germany and Denmark is between four and six weeks. We hear the increasing rhetoric about Ireland’s success rolling out apprenticeships, however the facts at grassroots level are a shameful indictment of the harsh reality.

“This situation has become very distressing for the young people who have embarked upon their apprenticeships with excited optimism, only to have them dashed,” the group said.

Sinn Féin TD and spokesperson on further and higher education, Mairéad Farrell, said the number of apprentices waiting is “shocking” adding that many are consistently raising the issue with her.

“I have had numerous people contact me saying that it’s having a huge impact on their personal life and their mental health. Many feel that they don’t want to continue because it’s taking too long, even people who went back to become apprentices later in life,” she said.

Ms Farrell said some apprentices waiting for off-the-job training have said they are considering emigrating due to the delays.

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“It also crucially comes down to the point that we are in the middle of a housing crisis,” she said adding: “We have nearly 9,000 people waiting to be fully trained and who want to be able to deliver houses.” 

Ms Farrell has been raising the issue since last year, and since then, the number has increased by almost 1,400.

“It was my understanding that the minister was taking this seriously but we can see now that it’s actually worsened. This needs to be crucially prioritised, but what we’re seeing instead from the minister is announcement after announcement," she said.

Responding to Ms Farrell’s questions, Higher and Further Education Minister Simon Harris said there will always be a degree of waiting for apprentices due to factors such as term commencement dates in higher education institutions and increased demand.

“But this is generally limited to less than six months,” he said. Mr Harris said significant progress has been made in addressing the backlog with more training places expected in 2024 across Educational and Training Boards.

Some 27,470 people are currently doing an apprenticeship, with a record 8,712 new registrations in 2023. In 2021, the Government launched an action plan to increase the number of new apprentice registrations to 10,000 per year by 2025.