Considering an Apprenticeship
To be eligible for an apprenticeship, you must be at least 16 years of age and you are expected to have a minimum of grade D in 5 subjects in the Junior Certificate or equivalent exam. However, higher educational qualifications and other requirements may be required by employers.
Exceptions can be made if you do not have the above qualifications:
- Complete an approved preparatory training course followed by an assessment interview.
- Are over 18 years of age and have at least 3 years of relevant work experience, in which case you will also be asked to do an assessment interview.
- You will be asked to pass a colour-vision test for some apprenticeships.
In what fields can an apprenticeship be done?
A detailed list of the types of apprenticeship within each field is available here or by downloading this PDF which includes the type of apprenticeship, coordinating college, and duration.
Fields: Arboriculture, BioPharma, Construction, Electrical, Engineering, Finance, Hairdressing, Healthcare, Hospitality and Food, ICT, Insurance, Logistics, Motor, Property Services, Recruitment and Sales.
How do I find an apprenticeship?
To find an apprentice employer, you can search on job sites like Jobs.ie, Irishjobs.ie etc or you can focus on sites specific to helping match apprentices with companies. Apprenticeship.ie has current apprenticeship vacancies on the apprenticeship.ie jobs page. You can search for vacancies by location and by apprenticeship.
Your local Education and Training Board may have details of employers seeking to employ an apprentice. You will find contact details for your local Education and Training Board on the Local Apprenticeship contact directory.
Careersportal.ie has comprehensive information and a full list of current apprenticeships here.