To ask the Minister for the Economy (i) to detail the steps he is taking to increase the uptake of apprenticeship courses; and (ii) for his assessment of how current staff shortages, across all industries, can be mitigated by increasing the numbers of apprentices.

My Department does not create apprenticeships but works with business, industry bodies and education providers to ensure that the apprenticeship programmes meet the skills needs of the employer and delivers quality training for the individual apprentice. There are approximately 10,000 participants across the apprenticeship programmes and currently no evidence of any issues around capacity.

My Department provides funding for the delivery of apprenticeship training and oversees the operation of the apprenticeship training delivery infrastructure, which is provided by further education colleges, higher education institutions, the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise and contracted training suppliers. Training at levels 2 and 3, aligned to over 100 apprenticeship frameworks, is delivered through the ApprenticeshipsNI programme with the Higher Level Apprenticeship programme offering training, from level 4 to 7, in over 30 occupational areas.

Supporting apprenticeship promotional campaigns help to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships to both potential apprentices and employers. These twice yearly advertising campaigns, which are across a range of media, take place during NI Apprenticeship Week in January/February and in August for GCSE / AS / A2 results. In addition, initiatives such as Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week, which ran from 7th to 11th February 2022, are a great opportunity to highlight apprenticeships as a career pathway. This year’s Week included over 40 virtual and physical events hosted by training providers, local authorities and businesses showcasing apprenticeships across a wide range of sectors.

I am very aware of the labour shortages facing many sectors. My Department is working to provide skilled individuals to help fill these gaps in the labour market, with vocational education a key element, both in terms of skills for young people, as well as for those who want to reskill or upskill. Apprentices are committed; they learn and adapt quickly to their new environment, quickly adding real value to their employers. Through the Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Awards and visits to companies employing apprentices, I have seen at first hand the contribution apprentices make. The reintroduction of all age apprenticeships at level 2 and level 3 has been a long standing commitment for my Department as a means of helping to address skills gaps however the proposed draft Budget settlement for 2022-25 will most likely mean that my Department has insufficient budget to take this initiative forward at this time.