APPRENTICESHIP REGISTRATIONS HAVE nearly doubled since last year.
Replying to a parliamentary question by Fine Gael TD Bernard J Durkan, SOLAS, the organisation that replaced FÁS, said that registrations for apprenticeships were up 46% since the same period last year.
Giving figures for the last five years, there has been a steady increase in the number of people signing on to do apprenticeships.
Apprenticeships are recognised means by which people become trained as craftspeople in Ireland.
Employers
The increase in apprentice registrations with SOLAS is determined by the number of apprentices employed and registered by individual employers within a broad range of occupational sectors.
In 2010, 1,204 were registered, jumping to 1,307 in 2011.
Each year there has been an increase – in 2012, there were 1,434, with a jump of nearly 500 registrations in 2013, to 1,929.
So far, this year, 2,154 are registered to do an apprenticeship.
SOLAS said that the forecast for 2016 apprenticeships registrations remains strong.
It is expected the number of required training places will exceed 5,800 in 2016, however, they said this delivery will depend on whether there will be adequate lecturer and training staff resources in place.
Durkan asked to what extent were different types of apprenticeships available throughout the country.
SOLAS said that it is not “economically viable or feasible for the State to provide provision for each specific trade throughout the country”.
They said the supply and location of training provision is generally determined by the number of apprentices registered to particular craft apprenticeships.
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