Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
210. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to outline the internships, apprenticeships and graduate schemes run by his Department and public bodies under the aegis of his Department. [35484/23]
View answerA brief outline of the different programmes and schemes in which my Department takes part is set out below.
ICT Apprenticeships
This is a two-year scheme, run by the OGCIO in which officers are employed at Executive Officer level while undertaking training in areas of digitalisation. My Department currently has two apprentices who are engaged as part of this scheme, receiving training in Cyber Security and Software Development.
WAM Programme
My Department is also participating in the Willing Able Mentoring (WAM) programme set up by AHEAD, which provides employment opportunities to graduates with disabilities. A graduate from this scheme will start in our Department in early September 2023.
Graduate Programmes
This year, the Public Appointments Service launched a new graduate recruitment campaign for candidates with a specific focus in Energy, Environment and Climate. This stream allows graduates with backgrounds in Environmental Science, Energy, Agriculture and more to pursue a career with a particular focus in the areas under my Department's remit.
The Department will also later this year begin to recruit (also with the Public Appointments Service) graduates in the specific area of cyber security who will be taking up development roles within the National Cyber Security Centre.
The information sought by the Deputy regarding the agencies under the aegis of my Department is an operational matter for each agency. I will request the relevant bodies to reply directly to the Deputy with the information requested in respect of their organisation.
