AQW 18126/22-27 Written question to the Minister for the Economy
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether his Department has plans to review the current ApprenticeshipsNI programme to extend the support it provides to other forms of apprenticeship such as workplace or training provider-led schemes.
Asked by David Honeyford MLA on 13 November 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 13 November 2024
- Answer due by
- 28 November 2024
- Answered
- 26 November 202413 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for the Economy
- Priority question
- No
Answer
The ApprenticeshipsNI programme supports the off-the-job training elements of an apprenticeship at Levels 2 and 3. Apprentices are employees and paid directly by their employer, with the directed training element provided by 20 contracted private training organisations, the six Further Education Colleges and the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). My Department spends over £25m per year on funding the off the job element of an apprenticeship under the ApprenticeshipsNI programme.
0ver 6,600 people started a Level 2 or Level 3 apprenticeship in the 2023/24 academic year to end April 2024, a 30% increase on 2022/23. As of 30 April 2024, there were 10,433 apprentices enrolled on the ApprenticeshipsNI Programme.
To ensure our apprenticeship provision aligns with the changing needs of our economy, Sectoral Partnerships have been established across a number of economic sectors. They bring employers, qualification experts and policy advisors together with the aim of ensuring that apprenticeships training and qualifications meet the needs of industry.
Whilst there are no plans to extend the ApprenticeshipsNI programme to non-employees, my Department is working on expanding apprenticeship opportunities to more people. Women, people with disabilities, and people from disadvantaged areas are currently underrepresented in the apprenticeship system. The recently launched Apprenticeship Inclusion Challenge Fund is intended to drive collaboration across the education, business and voluntary and community sectors to develop and deliver innovative solutions to these inclusion challenges.
My Department offers alternative programmes, such as Skills for Life and Work and Traineeships, which are designed to help young people get the skills and experience needed to obtain future employment.