Apprenticeships: Statements Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-10 ============================================================ Sharon Keogan (IND), Industrial and Commercial Panel I had better welcome the guests from Cavan here this evening. They are all very welcome. This Department is doing marvellous work. It is a brand new Department, at only five years old. We have to remember that. I recall when the Minister, Deputy Harris came in here, when he first started the Department back in July 2020. I said to him that with a stroke of a pen he could create thousands of jobs. I encouraged him to go out and set up apprenticeships within the public service and that is exactly what he has done. I am glad that today we have 566 apprenticeships because of that idea. Progress has been made, but these are pockets of innovation. The reality on the ground is that momentum elsewhere remains quite slow. Uptake has increased, and that is welcome, but let us be honest with ourselves, only an estimated 5% of our school leavers entered apprenticeships, while England is already at 10% and Germany stands at an extraordinary 45%. That comparison alone should set alarm bells ringing. A lots is done, but we have a lot more to do. I asked the Government directly what concrete actions can be taken to boost uptake and what the strategic plan is to integrate apprenticeships into sectors where Ireland should already be leading, such as our tech industry, advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, the semiconductor sector, engineering and biotech. These areas rely on precision skills. They rely on a workforce trained not only in theory but in practice. Industrial development is not solely a question of tax incentives or attracting foreign capital. It is fundamentally about building technical capacity within our own population, ensuring that Irish workers, our young people, have the skills to shape and sustain the industries we hope to grow. More broadly, we also need a national cultural shift in how we speak about the value of apprenticeships. The Government has a significant role to play in this. I am delighted to see Ms Katelyn Cummins here today to champion women in apprenticeships. Many young people around this country are doing well in apprenticeships. A young man in my town left school after the junior certificate with a great result in mathematics. He left school qualified, as did a number of people at the time. At 22 years of age he bought his house. He left school at 16. I want to give him a big shout out here today. What concrete measures and actions can be taken to boost uptake? What is the strategic plan to integrate apprenticeships into sectors where Ireland should already be leading, such as our tech industry, advanced manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, the semiconductor sector, engineering and biotech? These areas rely on precision skills and a workforce trained not only in theory but in practice. Industrial development is not solely a question of tax incentives or attracting foreign capital; it is fundamentally about building technical capacity within our population and ensuring Irish workers, our young people, have the skills to shape and sustain the industries we hope to grow. More broadly, we urgently need a national, cultural shift in how we speak about the value of apprenticeships. The Government has a significant role to play here, and I am delighted to see Katelyn here today to champion women in apprenticeships. Many young people around this country are doing so well in apprenticeships. One young man in my town did the junior certificate, got a great result in maths and then left school, as a number of people did at the time, qualified. Now, at 22 years of age, he has bought a house. He left school at 16. I want to give him a big shoutout here today. I would take every opportunity to encourage young people, men and women, to explore apprenticeships routes. They offer dignity, experience and lifetime careers. However, without a strong national message and strong Government action, we will continue to underserve thousands of talented young people who would thrive in these pathways. It is time for Ireland to match its rhetoric with ambition. Our young people deserve nothing less. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-10/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:36+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-10