Almost 1,500 additional apprenticeship places in areas of “critical need” are to be established amid a Government drive to increase annual registrations by 3,000 over the next five years.
Some €20.5 million in additional funding was announced by Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless on Thursday to support additional capacity through 99 new craft training blocks.
The additional training blocks will result in 1,485 additional places in the coming years, though some are already in place.
Some 630 of those places will be in electrical, while 405 additional places will be created in carpentry and joinery. Other areas include plumbing, heavy vehicle mechanics, and motor mechanics.
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It comes as a new Government action plan for apprenticeships is set to be launched next year, which will set a new target to increase annual registrations to 12,500 by 2030.
The current action plan set a target of 10,000 registrations by the end of this year, with a recent Oireachtas committee hearing they are “on track” to meet that, having risen from 5,326 in 2020 to 9,352 last year.
Announcing the funding alongside Minister of State Marian Harkin at the Dublin Bus depot in Broadstone on Thursday, Mr Lawless said:
“This is on top of the record investment for apprenticeships in Budget 2026, which shows how serious we are about creating opportunities and tackling skills shortages head-on.”
Budget 2026 saw an additional €79 million allocated for apprenticeships, bringing overall funding to more than €400 million.
“This funding will deliver new places in areas of critical need, from heavy vehicle mechanics to emerging technologies, ensuring apprenticeships remain a cornerstone of Ireland’s education and training system,” he said.
He added that apprenticeships are “at the heart of building the skills Ireland needs for the future”.
“Meeting the apprentices here today brings that to life, it’s about real people, real careers, and the confidence that essential services like public transport will have the skilled workforce they depend on. These are the jobs that keep Ireland moving.”
Dublin Bus is currently training 89 apprentices across its operations, including nine heavy vehicle mechanic apprentices at the Broadstone depot.
Chief executive Billy Hann said apprenticeships are “vital to the future of Dublin Bus”.
“Our apprentices are the mechanics of tomorrow who will keep our modern fleet moving,” he said, adding: “Skills and trades will be central to how we continue to deliver for the people who use our services.”
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