The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, recently announced an extension of the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme to 31st December 2021.
The Incentivisation Scheme provides financial support to employers who take on an apprentice on all national apprenticeship programmes including the Commis Chef, Chef de Partie and Sous Chef Apprenticeship Programmes before 31st December 2021.
Apprenticeship employers are eligible for a €3,000 payment for each new apprentice who is registered before 31 December 2021. €2,000 per apprentice is payable at the point of registration. A further €1,000 is payable in 2022 for each eligible apprentice retained on their apprenticeship.
If you are not a registered apprentice employer you can submit an expression of interest and complete the process online via www.apprenticeshipjobs.ie/#/employer/register
The apprenticeship office in your local Education and Training Board can assist also, to find your local ETB click here.
If you are a registered employer and wish to take on an apprentice as part of the scheme, please follow the steps below.
Step 1: Advertise apprenticeship jobs from 1st July 2021 via www.apprenticeship.ie
Registered employers taking on apprentices as part of the scheme are invited to use the free Jobs Portal facility on www.apprenticeship.ie to advertise vacancies.
Step 2: Register your apprentice
Once an apprentice has been employed, you must register them as an apprentice with SOLAS. This is done via an apprenticeship advisor in your local ETB. For contact details click here.
Step 3: Apply for the incentive payment
Following successful registration of an apprentice, employers who are eligible for the incentive payment will be invited to submit a claim form which includes tax clearance details and the provision of bank details to process payments. Subject to approval, the claim will be processed promptly for payment.
Terms and conditions of the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme
• From 01 July 2021, employers must advertise the apprentice job vacancy on www.apprenticeship.ie
• Apprentices must continue to be employed by the employer at the time of submission of a claim for the incentive payment.
• Employers who have made an apprentice redundant between 01 March and 30 June 2021 are not eligible to make a claim under the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme.
• Employers cannot claim for both the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme and JobsPlus for their apprentices.
• Apprenticeship employers will be subject to monitoring visits and contact in the usual way by the national network of SOLAS Authorised Officers.
Queries may be directed to apprenticeship advisors within Education and Training Boards or by email to apprenticeshipincentive@solas.ie.