Significant interest has been reported in the Government's new Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme.

On a visit to the Pfizer Grange Castle campus Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar and the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris met with company representatives and apprentices from Pfizer's four apprenticeship programmes. They encouraged employers and new trainees to consider undertaking an apprenticeship as an alternative to traditional third level education or direct entry into the workplace.

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Tánaiste Varadkar said: "We want more employers to see for themselves the benefits of taking on apprentices. The advantages include having a wider talent pool inside your company, a greater range of bespoke skills among employees, and the ability to deal with specific skill gaps.

"Around 6,500 employers are already running apprenticeship programmes but we want to see many more. The July Stimulus Initiative established the Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme, which provides a grant of €3,000 per apprentice over two years, for employers who register apprentices before the end of the year. It offers greater choice to employers and to school leavers and learners of all ages.

"I'm very happy to report that in the three weeks since the Scheme went live, applications have been received from employers representing 310 individual apprentices."