Eurofound's COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the crisis, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.
Factsheet for case IE-2020-10/1064 – measures in Ireland
Country | Ireland , applies nationwide |
Time period | Temporary, 01 March 2020 – 31 December 2020 |
Type | Other initiatives or policies |
Category |
Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery
– Active labour market policies, incl. subsidised job creation |
Author | Roisin Farelly (IRN Publishing) and Eurofound |
Case created | 04 September 2020 (updated 08 September 2020) |
The aim is to encourage employers to take on apprentices, as Ireland expands its apprenticeship system beyond the traditional craft construction and maintenance trades into a range of other manufacturing and service sector jobs.
It is also designed to support employers to continue to recruit apprentices during the immediate COVID-19 period.
The scheme was launched in July as part of the new Government's Jobs Stimulus Programme, but it is open to all employers taking on apprentices between March 2020 to December 2020 inclusive.
Apprenticeship employers are eligible for a €3,000 payment for each new apprentice who is registered between March 1 and December 31, 2020.
€2,000 per apprentice is payable at the point of registration, with a further €1,000 payable in the third quarter of 2021 for each eligible apprentice retained in employment.
The incentive support covers all 58 national apprenticeship programmes and will apply to any new apprenticeship programmes which are launched in 2020. Three new apprenticeship programmes were launched in August 2020 alone.
SOLAS, the statutory agency overseeing the apprenticeship system, is responsible for developing, delivering and administering the scheme. Further information is available on www.apprenticeship.ie
Applications were received from employers representing 310 individual apprentices in the first three weeks after the scheme went live in August 2020, according to the Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, on September 4.
More information on the level of uptake for the scheme should be available later in 2020.
Workers | Businesses | Citizens |
---|---|---|
Youth (18-25) in employment
|
Applies to all businesses | Does not apply to citizens |
Actors | Funding |
---|---|
National government
Company / Companies Public support service providers |
National funds
|
Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:
Trade unions | Employers' organisations | |
---|---|---|
Role | No involvement | No involvement |
Form | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
Social partners not involved - the measure is a Government-led initiative.
However, it would be fair to say that both employers and unions are positive about the initiative, as both support the health and expansion of the apprenticeship system.
This case is not sector-specific.
This case is occupation-specific
Occupation (ISCO level 2) |
---|
Science and engineering associate professionals |
Business and administration associate professionals |
Building and related trades workers, excluding electricians |
Electrical and electronic trades workers |
Stationary plant and machine operators |
Drivers and mobile plant operators |
Citation
Eurofound (2020), Apprenticeship incentivisation scheme, case IE-2020-10/1064 (measures in Ireland), COVID-19 EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, http://eurofound.link/covid19eupolicywatch
Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process. All information is preliminary and subject to change.