For the majority of apprenticeships, the rate of pay is agreed between the apprentice and the employer, with the employer paying the apprentice during both on-the-job and off-the-job training elements. For the majority of craft apprentices, the minimum rates of pay are agreed through collective bargaining or underpinned by a Sectoral Employment Order (SEO).
Neither my department nor SOLAS are responsible for setting apprentice wages. Minimum wage laws fall under the remit of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.
Craft apprentices attending off-the-job training at ETBs or HEIs receive a fortnightly State training allowance. This allowance is not considered a wage, and there is no employment contract between SOLAS and the apprentice during this time. The allowance is aligned with industry minimum wage rates and varies depending on the apprentice’s training phase or year. The allowance is paid on the basis of the sector they are employed in. The below table outlines the fortnightly State training allowance applicable to apprentices across the various craft apprenticeship phases.
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Electrical
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Construction
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Mech Building
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Engineering
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Motor
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Phase 2(P2)
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€357.24
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€298.97
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€347.49
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€313.79
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€251.46
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Phase 4(P4)
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€459.42
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€448.50
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€521.04
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€451.63
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€377.57
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Phase 6(P6)
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€663.39
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€672.75
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€781.56
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€671.01
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€566.34
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Year 4
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€816.66
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€807.30
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€937.95
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€810.38
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€679.62
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I am conscious of financial challenges facing learners and the need for the progressive implementation of measures to address costs as a barrier to attending tertiary education. As part of Budget 2026, I announced a permanent reduction in the free fees initiative Student Contribution charge. This flat rate reduction has reduced the rate from €3,000 to €2,500 for undergraduate students eligible for the free fees initiative and, applied on a pro rata basis, has lowered the student contribution by 17% for apprentices attending Higher Education. In regard to apprentices, €2.5 million was allocated for this purpose and, over the 2025/26 academic year, this will benefit approximately 14,000 apprentices.
There are targeted initiatives in place to assist apprentices financially. These include the Access to Apprenticeship Initiative, which supports the transition of 16–24-year-olds from disadvantaged backgrounds into an apprenticeship scheme, with learners who participate in an Access to Apprenticeship programme being eligible to apply for a €3,000 bursary, and the Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme, which provides financial and practical support to members of the Travelling Community to help them access, start, and complete apprenticeships.
Additionally, craft apprentices attending phases of off-the-job training in an Education and Training Board training centre, an Institute of Technology or a Technological University are entitled to supplementary allowances for travel, meals and accommodation. Either an accommodation allowance or travel allowance is payable, but not both.
It remains a priority for Government to ensure that apprentices are adequately incentivised and supported to engage in apprenticeship programmes, and that employers are likewise supported. In developing the next Action Plan for Apprenticeship, informed by a recent public consultation process, consideration is being given to how best to support and promote participation and retention for apprentices and employers alike. I look forward to publishing this new Action Plan later this year.
