Further Education & Training -
Where will it take you?
When it comes to you choosing a
career path, the route that traditionally
comes to mind is full time study in
either a college or university. While
many of you will take this route, there
are other options if you don’t fancy the
high cost of university or if you want to
jump straight into a paid career. apprenticeships and traineeships
are excellent for those who want to
pursue a career in certain
occupations. Over the next 5 years,
plans to significantly grow these
modes of learning are in place and
these will have many benefits to
both the learner and the employer.
Work based learning initiatives such as Education & Training Boards (ETBs)
have a range of adult and further education
centres and colleges delivering education
and training programmes. There are 16
ETBs located across Ireland and the one in
your community offers many work-based
learning initiatives for different occupations.
These
include
many
innovative
apprenticeships, traineeships and post
leaving certificate (PLC) courses.
5 FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT
APPRENTICESHIPS
1) You get paid!
As an apprentice, you are an employee of an organisation that has signed up to
participate in an apprenticeship programme. Therefore, you are paid a salary from
when you start including the days you spend in college. You will also be treated like
a regular employee of the company in that you’ll get a certain number of paid
holidays per year.
2) College comes to you:
Much of your learning (at least 50% and up to 80%) will take place while you are on-
the-job in the workplace therefore gaining practical work experience. A structured
training programme will be in place and your organisation will allocate a mentor to
you to ensure you get this training. The off-the-job phase takes place in college.
Programmes last between 2 – 4 years. Apprentices are assessed on a structured
on-going basis throughout their apprenticeship therefore not everything is based on
a set of final year exams.
3) You get a nationally-recognised qualification:
Apprenticeships are recognised nationally and internationally. Upon successful
completion of an apprenticeship you will acquire a recognised qualification from
Level 5 Certificate to Level 10 Doctorate in a specific occupation.
4) You can choose from a wide variety of
industries:
Apprenticeships are industry driven. This means industry have heavily influenced the
design of these new programmes – subjects you study and assessments you
complete will have been developed in conjunction with some of Irelands leading
employers. With over 40 apprenticeships now available, including apprenticeships
in traditional craft areas, apprenticeships are now possible in new occupations such
as Commis Chef, Auctioneering & Property Services, Craft Butcher and Original
Equipment Manufacturing. Many other apprenticeships are in development including
Wind Turbine Technician, Arboriculture, Sales, Hairdressing and Scaffolding.
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5) A world of
opportunities awaits
you:
Getting into employment earlier
means there is potential for you to
progress in your career quickly.
Should you wish to continue to higher
education, ETBs will have defined
pathways to degree programmes in
3rd level colleges. If after completing
your apprenticeship you would like to
progress to higher education your
local ETB can advise you of these
progression routes and what types of
programmes you can enrol on.
Equally, bringing your qualification to a
3rd level college, they will be able to
advise you of any exemptions you
may have if you wanted to start a new
programme with them.
For those of you wishing to travel, an
apprenticeship can be seen as your
passport to the world. Your
qualification is globally recognised and
because you have a combination of
both work experience and an
academic qualification, you will be
seen as “work ready” and highly
employable.
APPRENTICESHIPS
BellTIME
Apprenticeships are seen as a respected alternative to the
traditional full-time college or university programme. They are not
just for school leavers however - you can apply at any age if you
want to retrain, move into another area within your organisation or
change your career completely. Apprenticeships are mutually
beneficial, providing relevant working experience and skills to the
apprentice and talented, dedicated young professionals to the
organisations.
Apprenticeships are valued by employers because they create
employees who have relevant work experience and have
developed 21st century skills - collaboration and teamwork,
creativity and imagination, critical thinking and problem solving –
all required by organisations both nationally and internationally.
www.apprenticeship.ie
Shane McGearty, Craft Butcher Apprenticeship, 2018 Intake
“I chose to do the Craft Butcher apprenticeship because I have an interest in food and
because I want to make a career in butchery. I enjoy learning about the production of food
and the skills involved in butchery. A regular day on the job you will see fresh meat being
prepared, unique dishes being made, a great atmosphere, and a lot of great banter between
staff and customers. A regular day off the job involves learning different skills - health and
safety in the workplace, food safety, manual handling.
Personally, I’m finding the programme very enjoyable. I found that the only challenge I have
encountered was that coming up to Christmas time the butchery business is very busy. I find that the programme is
taught at a good pace and is very enjoyable. I would highly recommend an apprenticeship because you are learning
a trade that will stand by you for your whole life, it is a great practical way to learn and you can work abroad as
apprenticeships are recognised internationally.
My plan for after my apprenticeship is to do a business course and one day hopefully open a butcher
shop of my own. First thought I want to work abroad as a butcher before I open my own shop”
Amy Phelan, Aircraft Maintenance Apprenticeship, Shannon, 2018 intake
“I’m currently undergoing a 4 year apprenticeship in order to become an aircraft engineer. It is
a great apprenticeship as it is a very varied course, and likewise, once qualified, can lead to a
diverse range of career options. I’ll have the possibility of working in many different areas such
as maintenance on aircraft, in the engineering and planning department or in aircraft leasing. I
am employed, through this apprenticeship, with Aer Lingus which is a great organisation to
learn, work, and progress in. Before I started this apprenticeship, I studied French and Spanish
in college. I really enjoyed my course but knowing that it would lead to a job sitting in an office
every day didn’t appeal to me. Since starting the apprenticeship, I’ve had a lot of opportunities
to work with my hands and learn new skills.
I think before considering any apprenticeship, remember that it’s not like college and it’s not like work. It’s the best, and
worst, of both worlds. You won’t have long summer holidays to go travelling, but it’s also a great way to avoid paying
college fees as you will be paid throughout your apprenticeship. My honest opinion to someone
considering an apprenticeship is to think about it, and to definitely go for it if you’re interested as it
definitely won’t be wasted time; you will learn a myriad of new skills.”
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