AQW 16218/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 04/10/2024
Answered On Date: 22/10/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the work he is carrying out to enable the 32 per cent of employers who said that they plan to offer apprenticeships in the future to do so in practice, as noted in the Employer Skills Survey 2022.

Answer:

Apprenticeships provide significant benefits to participants, employers and our economy. My Department is working on a range of approaches to grow and increase awareness of apprenticeships.

There are two apprenticeship programmes, ApprenticeshipsNI and Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs), which means employers can access apprenticeships at all skill levels and in over 100 occupations. Most recent published statistics for both programmes show that apprenticeship start numbers continue to increase.

There is significant collaboration across our economy to ensure apprenticeships are relevant and align with our changing need. This is delivered by 16 sectoral partnerships bring together employers, qualification experts and policy advisors; and a yearly process to approve new apprenticeships. Recent examples include new apprenticeships in Industrial Coatings and Scientific Technologies and new HLAs starting in Law and Artificial Intelligence.

My department runs an Apprenticeships advertising campaign bi-annually: in advance of Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week in February; and during August for the GCSE / A level results timeframe.

Our media campaign has been updated in 2024 and will revitalise our audience engagement to ensure messaging is meaningful, clearly understood and connects with the diverse range of interested groups, from students and their parents, all age jobseekers, to HR professionals and local businesses.

A review is currently underway of all available DfE supporting materials for employers.

Finally, my Department is developing a three year Apprenticeship Action Plan to help expand the pipeline of future talent for business. This includes an Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund to increase the diversity of those who undertake and benefit from apprenticeship provision.