‘Ridiculous’ funding cuts blocking the way forward for Donegal’s apprentices

A major funding shortfall which will have a huge impact on Donegal apprentices has been described as “ridiculous”.

Donegal ETB has a funding shortfall of just over €2.1 million to pay training allowances to apprentices and Senator Manus Boyle says this is hard to comprehend at a time when the country has a massive shortage of skilled tradespeople.

In Ireland, most craft apprenticeships are structured around seven phases of training, alternating between on-the-job and off-the-job learning. The shortfall will affect Donegal apprentices progressing from phase 4 to phase 6 training in their chosen apprenticeships.

“Due to this funding shortfall they will be forced to cancel and delay scheduled training,” said Senator Boyle. “If they were to proceed with the training planned by Donegal ETB and ATU, Donegal ETB will incur a significant financial deficit for 2025. This situation is the same across almost all ETB’s that are involved in Apprenticeship training, particularly where a local Technological University is also delivering Phase 4 and 6 training.

“If the operational funding to address the 2025 funding deficit is not addressed as a matter of urgency, we will have empty workshops across Donegal ETB and ATU Donegal this September as arranging classes for training has an eight to 10-week lead time. This is not unique to Donegal and will be a national issue.”

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Cuts of €40 million will impact apprentices nationally, Senator Manus Boyle said yesterday in the Seanad.

“It was brought to my attention by Councillors Martin Harley, Jimmy Kavanagh and Michael Boyle that the funding for the apprenticeship programme for education and training boards, ETBs, nationally will be cut by €40 million this year,” Senator Boyle said.

“This is ridiculous at a time when the country has a massive shortage of skilled people. We need to address it quickly, even before the summer recess, because it means apprenticeships will not be fit to go forward in September.

“This is crucial. Our apprenticeships and our ETBs are working very well. This is something we need to get behind and back. There is a massive shortage of trained personnel out there. We are taking people in from other countries. Our own people want to do it.”