Apprenticeship Programmes

Tuesday, 11 June 2024

Questions (908)

Colm Burke

Question:

908. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will consider expediting a review of the SOLAS statutory apprenticeship which requires that certain apprenticeships applicants must pass the Ishihara colour vision test without the use of corrective lenses, particularly considering the most recent technological advances that have been made in such lenses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25139/24]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

SOLAS regularly review the requirements for existing apprenticeship programmes through the Programme Advisory Board (PAB), and the matter of colour vision testing is kept under review as part of the PAB process.

To that end, SOLAS sought out specialist organisations to carry out a review of the requirement for the use of Ishihara Colour Vision test for various apprenticeship programmes, benchmarking the requirement for colour vision testing against other EU countries and organisations.

In March 2024, Interactions Research were procured to carry out this review and provided a preliminary report for June 2024. SOLAS is reviewing this report and in the process of reverting to the provider with a number of queries for clarification and expansion, and details of the report will be available following this process.