Background information

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.

Content of measure

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

Use of measure

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.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Youth (18-25) in employment	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Company / Companies Public support service providers	National funds

Social partners

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:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners not involved - the measure is a Government-led initiative.

Views and reactions

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.

Sectors and occupations

This case is not sector-specific.

Sources

• 04 September 2020: Government Press Release 4/9/2020 (dbei.gov.ie)