Government announces annual €2,000 for apprentice employers 

The Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris recently announced the introduction of an annual grant of €2,000 for employers who employ apprentices in one of the 37 apprenticeships that have been established since 2016, including the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship.

This extends financial support to all apprentice employers for the first time, which the Government said addresses a key barrier to employer participation in apprenticeship.

“Throughout 2021, my department placed a real focus on apprenticeship and we have seen the effect of that through a significant increase in the number of apprentices that have registered,” said Minister Harris.

“Now we are announcing a range of important supports for businesses, including a €2,000 grant for employers. This will help address the cost of employing apprentices and encourage employers to consider apprenticeship as something that is excellent for business and excellent for the learner.”

The new grant is funded in Budget 2022 and will see annual payments to employers of €2,000 per apprentice per year for those apprenticeships which are not eligible for the payment of off-the-job training allowances. Effective from this month, this annual base grant will be paid to employers who employ apprentices in one of the 37 apprenticeships that have been established since 2016. 

It will be paid for each eligible registered apprentice during their employment with the business. Two payment points are planned per year, in June and December.

“We were delighted to hear that Minister Harris has announced a new €2,000 support for apprenticeship employers,” the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation (Habic) said in a social media post.

“Habic and the National Hairdressing Apprenticeship (NHA) consortium steering group have been lobbying Government for support for our members and for employers and apprentices. Our efforts to date have delivered results and we are very proud and happy with this latest update.”