Minister of State for Further Education, Apprenticeship, Construction and Climate Skills, Marian Harkin TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD have today published an evaluation of the Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme (TAIP).
The Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme is a pilot programme which
commenced in 2023. It provides financial and practical support to members of the Travelling Community to help them access, start and complete apprenticeships.Minister Harkin said:
“Inclusion is a key priority for me, and apprenticeships are making important progress in this area. By enabling people to earn while they learn, apprenticeships provide genuine choice, bringing together the opportunity to earn a living, gain a qualification and build a rewarding career.
"This evaluation makes clear that the Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme is making a real difference in people’s lives by helping to remove barriers through targeted financial and practical supports. It also highlights the importance of the programme’s Traveller-led and peer-led approach, with trust, lived experience and strong community connections helping to engage participants and respond to the needs of the community. As of the end of June 2026, 215 TAIP bursaries have been awarded, enabling more members of the Traveller community to access, begin and progress on apprenticeship pathways.”
Minister Lawless said:
“The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025 set a clear ambition to ensure that the apprenticeship population better reflects the diversity of Irish society. The Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme is an example of this commitment in action, demonstrating how targeted, community-led supports can help make apprenticeship an inclusive pathway for all.
"Later this year, Minister Harkin and I will publish a successor strategy that will set the strategic direction for the growth and reform of Ireland’s apprenticeship system over the next five years. As part of this broader ambition, the strategy will build on the progress made in widening access to apprenticeship, including for members of the Irish Traveller community.”
Welcoming the publication of the evaluation, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley TD said:
“I want to commend the Irish Traveller Movement for its commitment to delivering the Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme. This evaluation highlights the strong interest among Travellers in apprenticeships as a pathway to employment and demonstrates the positive impact of targeted supports.
"Through the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II 2024-2028, and by working in partnership with employers, we can create more opportunities for Travellers to secure quality and sustainable employment.
"Initiatives such as the Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme, as well as the Civil Service Traveller and Roma Placement Programme, show what can be achieved when barriers to employment are addressed.”
Director of the Irish Traveller Movement Bernard Joyce also welcomed the publication of the evaluation, stating:
“The evaluation shows that the TAIP is effectively supporting Travellers to access, participate in and remain in apprenticeships while tackling long-standing barriers to employment.
"It makes clear that programmes designed with Travellers, delivered by Travellers and rooted in community development principles achieve real impact. The TAIP demonstrates that apprenticeships can be a powerful route to employment, skills development and economic inclusion for our community.
"The evaluation also highlights that further progress is needed to encourage stronger employer engagement, greater support for Traveller women and address the barriers to Traveller employment in Ireland.”
The evaluation is available here.
Notes
The Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme (TAIP)
The Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme is a pilot programme which commenced in 2023. It provides financial and practical support to members of the Travelling Community to help them access, start and complete apprenticeships.
The programme offers bursaries to both apprentices and their employers. To be eligible for the TAIP, individuals must be members of the Travelling Community who are:
- Starting a new national apprenticeship. (SOLAS approved)
- Already in an existing apprenticeship. (SOLAS approved)
- Enrolled in a pre-apprenticeship training programme.
The programme was launched in 2023 and is run through the Irish Traveller Movement.
The programme is structured across three streams:
Stream 1 - €3,000 bursary each for Travellers who are employed as new apprentices and €2,000 incentive payment each for their employers.
Stream 2 - €3,000 bursary each for existing Traveller apprentices.
Stream 3 - €3,000 bursary each for Travellers to access pre-apprenticeship programmes.
Further information is available through the Irish Traveller Movement website here: https://itmtrav.ie/traveller-apprenticeship-incentivisation-programme/
The Evaluation of the TAIP Programme
This evaluation was carried out by Method Consulting and considers the first 16 months of the TAIP’s operation. It involved consultations with 46 Travellers and 45 representatives of Traveller organisations, employers, statutory bodies and other stakeholder organisations.
Civil Service Traveller and Roma Placement Programme
The Civil Service Traveller and Roma Placement Programme aims to support members of the Traveller and Roma communities to work in Government Departments and Offices and create a pathway to long term employment and greater workforce representation. It is led by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, with support from the Department of Children, Disability and Employment as the lead Department for the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II 2024 – 2028. Further information is available here: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-public-expenditure-infrastructure-public-service-reform-and-digitalisation/publications/civil-service-traveller-and-roma-work-placement-programme/ and on PublicJobs.ie: https://publicjobs.ie/ga/traveller-roma
Apprenticeships
There are now nearly 90 national apprenticeship programmes now on offer across the country, qualifying highly skilled apprentices of all ages and backgrounds up to QQI Level 10. Further details on apprenticeship programmes available can be found on the Apprenticeship.ie website.
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