Shannon Chamber recently hosted its first Apprenticeships’ evening at St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon.
The purpose of the evening was to encourage students and their parents to embrace apprenticeships as a career route and to show that there is a way into work that suits students of all aptitudes.
The event was attended by over 160 people. The five participating companies let attendees learn about the apprenticeship schemes run each company. The fact that most presentations were given by employees who had practical experience of being an apprentice added to the value of the event.
Process engineering manager with Molex, Michael Collins’ career saw him progress from toolmaker to supervisor to reliability engineering leader to his current position, so he was strong in his praise for apprenticeships.
Modular Automation operates a four-apprenticeship programme with a mix of on-the-job and classroom training. Since starting as an apprentice toolmaker in 2005, production manager Alan O’Brien’s career has seen him move through project lead to team lead and ultimately to his current position.
Element Six’s apprenticeship programme, which consists of a 2-year manufacturing technician programme and a 3-year manufacturing engineer programme, has been developed by the Irish Medtech Association along with Galway Mayo Institute of Technology and representatives from the medtec industry. Contracts for the 2018 class commence in October with the academic portion starting in January 2019.
Aircraft maintenance company Lufthansa Technik Shannon (LTS) operates a 24-month aircraft maintenance apprenticeship programme, which is a mix of theory, workshop and practical training. The comprehensiveness and quality of this programme is such that graduates have gone on to become CEOs, heads of production and a variety of other jobs.
Picture: Eamon Ward.
Another aircraft maintenance company, Atlantic Aviation Group, has seen its apprentices crowned as Ireland Skills Champions and has won two of the last three world skills challenges. Its four-year apprenticeship programmes include two years’ practical work in the hangar in Shannon and two years’ theory carried out at its training institute in Shannon is association with the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT). Its apprenticeship offering opens on 28 March with details available from www.atlanticaviation.ie
Leading innovator in musculoskeletal healthcare, Zimmer Biomet’s apprenticeship programme resulted from a partnership between Limerick for Engineering and the local educational institutes. Having introduced the first industry-led manufacturing apprenticeship in Ireland, Zimmer currently has eight apprentices completing Level 6 manufacturing technical apprenticeships.
Summing up the value of an event of this nature for secondary level students, Shannon Chamber CEO said: “It shows the students and their parents that we have a great spread of companies here in this region offering amazing career opportunities, whether it be post school or post college. It’s down to choice and which route best suits the student’s aptitude.
As Mid-West Regional Skills Forum manager concluded: “Our key task is to transform the perception of apprenticeships. As education is changing to meet industry and learners’ needs, this is beginning to happen and the number and profile of employers offering apprenticeships is expanding. The ambition of having 50,000 people in apprenticeships by 2020 is clearly attainable.”
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