Hitachi, Volvo, John Deere, JCB, Massey Ferguson and Caterpillar have all signed up for the scheme. "As part of the project, each company has chosen to partner with a different manufacturing sector to boost the employability skills of their apprentices," the department said. "The apprenticeship standards support key themes such as skills development, apprenticeship progression and employment retention." Business Minister Richard Bruton welcomed the companies' "leadership" on apprenticeships and skills. "This is very encouraging and I want to congratulate each of the companies involved for their continued commitment to apprenticeships," he said. "The recent launch of our new apprenticeship standards have been well-received and I know that the new framework will only contribute further to a much stronger apprenticeship system that is already delivering for the economy and the state." 'A world first' The apprenticeships scheme includes a number of new initiatives to encourage more companies to take part. Apprentices in the country's first ever plastics manufacturing company, based in Dublin, are being provided with skills in 3D printing, which can cut the manufacturing cost of complex machinery. Trainees at the company will be given the opportunity to trial 3D printers on the job and become familiar with 3D modelling programs. The company, whose name is not being revealed, said it would take about two years to fully develop its 3D printing division. This would require a total investment of €300,000. The department said this was the first such industry partnership in the world. Speaking to RTÉ News, chief executive of the Institute of Technology Tallaght (ITT) John McEntee said it was fantastic that it was happening here in Ireland. "There are very few countries in the world that have such a close industrial alliance in this area that we do in Ireland, it's a world first," he said. John McEntee (l) says the companies' collaboration is fantastic. Minister of State for Skills, Research and Innovation John Halligan said the apprenticeship standards were part of a package of actions the government was putting in place to improve the quality of apprenticeship and increase apprentices' access to employment. "In recent years, we have seen a sharp reduction in the number of apprenticeships delivered," he said. "To reverse that decline, we launched our new apprenticeship framework to ensure that all areas of skills are developed. We are providing greater incentives for employers and increasing the numbers of apprenticeships in high priority sectors and priority areas like the agricultural sector and health. "We will also continue to make improvements to the apprenticeship levy, which will contribute up to €4 billion to fund apprenticeship and further professional development in training and education in 2017. "The future of our economy is in apprenticeships and today is another important step in our journey to deliver a high-quality system," he added. Business leaders were this morning in Government Buildings for the launch of the new apprenticeship standards. More than 1,200 people from across the country are expected to graduate as apprentices this year. Minister for Finance Michael Noonan told a seminar that today's apprenticeships standards were key to developing the skills that would lead to future employment. He said: "When these standards are introduced, what is important is that they are rolled out in a manner that ensures that it is business, industry and the community that have ownership of them." Mr Noonan said he had recently launched the Apprenticeship Action Plan. Mr Noonan said two thirds of the new graduates in 2016 will go into the world of work, with some 9,000 of these people finding jobs in this sector. The launch included an apprenticeship presentation from the Irish Roofing Contractors' Association. The presentation outlined the sector's contribution to the country's economic growth and how apprenticeships are supporting this growth. It also announced the launch of an apprenticeship scheme to support the employment of unemployed skilled people in the sector. Additional reporting: Kathryn Thomas