School-leavers will be able to do apprenticeships in new areas such as financial services, the travel industry and cheffing under an expansion of the State training and education scheme due to be announced on Thursday.

The Apprenticeship Council has identified more than 80 possible new apprenticeships, 25 of which are being prioritised for introduction pending further talks between industry and higher education partners.

Currently, there are only 27 categories of apprenticeship available in five sectors: construction, electrical work, engineering, motor mechanics and printing.

The new apprenticeships are due to be developed over the next two months, and a novel feature is that some of them will give participants the opportunity to gain qualifications up to a level 8, or honours undergraduate, degree as part of training.

Degree qualifications

Among the proposed apprenticeships are trainee roles in financial services and the insurance sector which would give apprentices level 7 (ordinary bachelor’s degree) or level 8 qualifications linked to third-level institutions.

One of the aims of the plan is to provide an attractive alternative to traditional higher education qualifications for school leavers.

Currently, apprenticeships are pitched as a level 6 (diploma) under the scheme, operated by Solas, the State training agency that replaced Fás.

The reforms also seek to recognise the changing job market, and a growing need for apprenticeships in sectors unrelated to the construction market.

The number of new apprenticeships in the five traditional areas covered by the scheme are up 17 per cent this year to 1,427 at the end of June.