Commercial driving among new apprenticeships under development

Commercial driving, wind turbine maintenance, sportsturf management and international financial services are among 17 new apprenticeship programmes that are to be developed during 2022, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris has announced.

Minister Harris said the development of the new programmes represented a vital step towards increasing annual apprenticeship registrations to 10,000 by 2025.

“We now have 62 apprenticeship programmes,” he stated.

“Eight new programmes were launched over 2020 and 2021 despite the challenges presented by Covid and we have a further four programmes close to launch. Across 2022, we will expand the system further, to create even more employment and learning opportunities for people.”

The 17 new courses being developed over the coming year are in the areas of agriculture, engineering, construction, equine, finance, hospitality and food, ICT and logistics.

Minister Harris added: “I will be bringing forward legislation to allow for the delivery of apprenticeships in agriculture, where we will seek to develop apprenticeships in farm manager and farm technician roles.

“In construction, you will also be able to access a master’s level qualification in Quantity Surveying through the apprenticeship route.

“An apprenticeship in Commercial Driving is being developed. And this is key as there is a real labour and skill shortage emerging in the transport and haulage sector. These will complement the existing logistics apprenticeships.

“We have set ourselves ambitious targets, but we are delivering on them.”

Minister Harris said that over 8,000 registrations were achieved in 2021.

“I hope these new opportunities to learn in a practical way, as well as the changes we recently announced to the CAO webpage, will help deliver the message that an apprenticeship can provide a real and substantive career pathway for school leavers, those looking to upskill, change career or for people who are looking for a route back to employment in new and growing areas.”