Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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53. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the locations in Donegal where places for the off-the-job training phase of all newly developed apprenticeships will be accommodated; if a strategy is in place to expand further in the county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27220/24]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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This question relates to off-the-job training for apprentices in the Donegal area. What is the situation and what are the plans and potential for the Atlantic Technological University, ATU, in County Donegal to provide some of those facilities?

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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Providing training opportunities for prospective learners and career changers in County Donegal is key to ensuring the north-west regional economy has access to the talent and skills it needs to fully realise its economic and societal potential. Donegal Education and Training Board has apprentice training facilities in Gaoth Dobhair and Letterkenny. Training is provided in key skills areas such as electrical, plumbing, carpentry and joinery, metal fabrication, motor mechanics, and electronic security systems.

Since 2021, our Department has allocated over €1 million in capital investment to the Donegal Education and Training Board towards equipment and works. Workshop facilities have grown by over 40% since 2021, from seven to ten. This includes two electrical workshops and a metal fabrication workshop this year. Additional instructors have been brought in, increasing from seven in 2021 to 17 in 2024. This has enabled phase 2 training capacity to increase by 100% from 190 in 2021 to 390 this year. Capacity is expected to increase further to 420 in 2025. ATU Donegal currently provides phases 4 and 6 off-the-job electrical apprenticeship training. Capacity in ATU Donegal has grown by almost 170% from 144 in the 2022-23 academic year to 384 in the 2024-25 academic year. In the same period, the number of instructor staff has increased from five to 12.

Over the course of 2025, ATU Donegal is planning to hire a further 17 staff to expand provision for electrical and start provision for refrigeration and air conditioning, metal fabrication, industrial electrical engineering and civil engineering. As it is responsive to future skills needs, it is also working on the development of a new apprenticeship in marine engineering, while Donegal ETB is working on a new welding apprenticeship.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for the outline of developments in Donegal. That is welcome in relation to ongoing apprenticeships. There is a need for apprenticeships to be accessed locally and for all aspects of the training to be carried out locally.

Apprentices have had to travel to Cork, Dundalk and Dublin to do the college part of their apprenticeship. It would be useful if they could stay in Donegal and do their full training there. That would lead to an improved apprenticeship service.

I welcome the announcement the Minister of State made in relation to the recruitment of staff for ATU Donegal to develop its training service. I hope to see that continue. Are there plans to increase the number of apprenticeships available and extend them to other areas?

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to the craft apprenticeship at ATU, I reiterate that phases 4 and 6 capacity for electrical apprenticeships has grown from 144 in the 2022-23 academic year to 384 this year. As I outlined, we are increasing capacity to deliver across electrical, refrigeration and metal fabrication at both Letterkenny and Killybegs.

Since the start of this session, we have been discussing mainly craft apprenticeships but we also have consortia-led, new apprenticeships. In Donegal, in 2025, the Atlantic Technological University plans to join as a collaborating partner in two new consortia programmes. The first is a bachelor of engineering in industrial electrical engineering and the co-ordinating provider is the Technological University of the Shannon. There will be a collaboration between the two technological universities. The second is a bachelor of engineering in civil engineering. Both of those will begin in September 2025.