85. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the progress being made to develop and ‘Earn and Learn’ apprenticeship model enabling childcare staff to gain qualifications and advance their careers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47402/26]

Nurturing Skills: The Workforce Development Plan 2022-2028 includes commitments to promote diversity, including gender balance, in the Early Learning and Care and School-Age Childcare workforce.

Aligned to the Programme for Government commitment to introduce an ‘Earn and Learn’ apprenticeship model enabling staff in this sector to gain qualifications and advance their careers, Pillar 4 of Nurturing Skills includes an action to examine the development of a range of entry routes into the sector, including apprenticeships or other work-based learning, and access programmes in further education and higher education. Research on alternative entry routes was received recently.

The Department is reviewing the research, with a view to using it to inform next steps. While Nurturing Skills commits to examine alternative entry-routes, the development of an apprenticeship would rely on the formulation of proposals by the sector and would require approval by the National Apprenticeship Office.

The consideration and potential introduction of an apprenticeship model in the sector is therefore not solely a policy matter for the Department but actually with the sector itself.

The Department, over the last 12 months, has had ongoing communications with the National Apprenticeship Office in relation to an early years sector apprenticeship and were made aware of two sector consortia having submitted initial proposals.

The Department are continuing to participate in conversations between the sector and the National Apprenticeship office as the process continues to progress. Currently there is an existing dedicated Early Learning and Care 'Earn and Learn' Programme in place under the Community Employment scheme, operated by the Department of Social Protection.

It aims to help people who want a career in early learning and care by providing real work experience while attaining the minimum Level 5 qualification in Early Learning and Care.

This scheme enhances the employability and mobility of disadvantaged and unemployed persons by providing community-based work experience and training opportunities.

In addition, Community Employment supports long-term unemployed people to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return-to-work routine.