Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail any steps she is taking to support small businesses in rural areas in offering apprenticeships to young people.
Minister for the Economy: My Department’s ApprenticeshipsNI and Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLA) programmes support employers across the north, including small businesses in rural areas, to offer apprenticeship opportunities, in line with business need.
The Department fully funds off-the-job apprenticeship training and continues to invest significantly in apprenticeship provision across the north. Employers participating in ApprenticeshipsNI may also receive a financial incentive of between £670 and £2,008 when an apprentice successfully achieves their qualifications, depending on the occupational area. Additional support may be available through CITB NI Employer Apprentice Grants for employers in the construction sector. Eligible employers can also benefit from relief on Class 1 National Insurance contributions for apprentices under the age of 25.
In addition, my Department promotes apprenticeship opportunities across the north through regional engagement and events, providing employers and prospective apprentices with advice and guidance on available programmes, funding and enrolment. This engagement helps identify local barriers to participation and ensures apprenticeship opportunities are promoted across all areas, including rural communities.
These measures are supporting strong participation. Around two-fifths of ApprenticeshipsNI starts in each of the last six reporting periods were by people living in rural areas. The number of starts by people living in rural areas increased from 2,450 in 2020/21 to 2,939 in 2024/25, demonstrating sustained engagement with apprenticeship opportunities within rural communities. Similarily the HLA programme has seen an increase in the number of starts by people living in rural areas from 270 in 2020/21 to 725 in 2024/25.
While the Department does not hold data on apprenticeship participation by employer location, the consistently high number of starts by individuals living in rural areas indicates that apprenticeship opportunities are reaching communities across the North.
ENDS
