Costs of reinstating the payment of apprenticeship fees in phase 4 and 6

QUESTION

To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the first and full-year costs of reinstating the payment of apprenticeship fees in phase 4 and 6.
REPLY



An Annual Student Contribution (ASC) is levied on all students attending Institutes of Technology (IoTs).  The amount of ASC charged to apprentices is calculated on a pro rata basis of the time which they spend in IoTs during the academic year. In cases where training is delivered in an Education and Training Board there is no contribution made by the apprentice. 

For craft apprenticeships, the ASC charged is typically one third of the €3,000 ASC paid by students attending for the full academic year and so amounts to approximately €1,000 per apprentice per period spent in the IoT.  In the case of the new consortia led apprenticeships the contribution varies for each programme as their off-the-job training has a more flexible structure.  
Prior to Budget 2014 the portion of the ASC relating to examination fees was paid by the apprentice with FÁS/SOLAS paying the remainder of the fee. If the arrangement in place prior to Budget 2014 arrangement were to be reinstated the cost to the State is estimated at €4.8 million in a full year.