€7.5 million euro is being made available to support apprenticeship programmes across the country.
The investment being announced by the government today will focus on new technologies and modernising traditional craft.
But there are calls to make schemes more attractive to women.
Waterford TD Mary Butler, who chairs the Oireachtas committee on business and enterprise, has raised concerns about the gender balance.
Deputy Butler says of the 14, 953 apprentices in Ireland, only 2 % or 332 of them are women.
She says the figures show there is a lot to do to encourage females to take up apprenticeships.
