OVER THE PAST five years the number of apprenticeships being undertaken in Ireland has dropped considerably across many trades.

Most notable is the sharp decline in the construction sector, from 3,808 apprentices employed in 2010, to 1,735 employed last year.

All construction-related apprenticeships took a nosedive, bar stonecutting and stonemasonry and wood manufacturing and finishing – which went from 13 employed apprentices in 2010 to 84 last year.

Electrical trades have been on the rise again since hitting a low of 2,030 in 2013. Some 3,099 apprentices were recorded in employment in 2015, down from 3,566 in 2010.

Across the board, overall numbers of apprentices in employment have risen since 2013.

Meanwhile, engineering and motor trades have experienced an overall increase in the number of employed apprentices since 2010.

There were 1,441 engineering apprentices last year, compared to 964 in 2010.

Meanwhile, after three years of dropping figures, the motor trade saw a boost, with 2,016 apprentices last year compared to 1,780 five years ago.

(Click here for a larger image of this table.)

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