Employers should consider taking on apprentices who can benefit their organisation and create new employment opportunities for the individual, Fine Gael TD Emer Higgins has said.
The Dublin Mid West representative encouraged employers to avail of a new financial incentive that Government is offering to recruit apprentices as part of the July Stimulus package.
Deputy Higgins said, “During the last financial crisis the number of apprentices collapsed. This set back many of our young people in Lucan and Clondalkin. We must not let this happen again as a result of Covid. In a few short years we have doubled the number of fields where quality assured apprenticeships are in place. Soon there will be 78 fields of apprenticeship to choose from and there are lots of new financial incentives for companies across Lucan and Clondalkin who recruit apprentices,” said Emer Higgins T.D.
“We now need local employers, including the public service, to consider the role apprenticeships can play to enhance and benefit their organisation. Amongst the 55 apprenticeships already available, there are 5 in finance, 6 in ICT, 6 in logistics and 16 in engineering, with a further 22 in development. This gives scope to new sectors that never recruited apprentices before to take up the scheme,” explained Higgins.
“As part of the July Stimulus package employers who take on apprentices from March to December of this year will be eligible for a grant of €2,000 upfront and another €1,000 in 12 months’ time.The scheme is among a range of measures contained in the July Stimulus package aimed at helping people get back to work or education quickly and amount to Government investment of over €200 million,” Deputy Higgins concluded.
