Limerick and Clare ETB joined forces with Kerry ETB to host the recent National Apprenticeship Awards 2024 at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney. Over 100 craft apprentices from 20 distinct apprenticeship programmes were joined by their proud families and friends to celebrate their achievements.
The apprentices honoured at this year’s event represented a broad range of skills and professions, showcasing the immense range of career paths available through apprenticeship training in Ireland. Graduates completed apprenticeships in disciplines that included Agricultural Mechanics, Aircraft Mechanics, Brick & Stone Laying, Carpentry & Joinery, Commis Chef, Construction Plant Fitting, Electrical, Electrical Instrumentation, Hairdressing, Heavy Vehicle Mechanics, Mechanical Automation and Maintenance Fitting, Metal Fabrication, Motor Mechanics, Pipefitting, Plumbing, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning, Sheet Metalworking, Stonecutting & Stonemasonry, Toolmaking, and Vehicle Body Repairs.
Apprentices from Limerick and Clare ETB and Kerry ETB graduated at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2024 at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney recently.
The awards event featured distinguished speakers who shared valuable insights on the role of apprenticeships in Ireland’s educational and economic landscape. Speakers included Eoin Lawlor from the National Apprenticeship Office; Donncha Ó Treasaigh, Acting Chief Executive of Limerick and Clare ETB; Colm McEvoy, Chief Executive of Kerry ETB; and Cllr Norma Moriarty, Chairperson of Kerry ETB. The ceremony’s special guest speaker, Berth Sheehy, Founder and CEO of Energywise Ireland, delivered an inspiring speech that resonated with the audience, particularly the apprentices.
Berth Sheehy’s journey from a school leaver, embarking on an electrical apprenticeship, to CEO of a leading renewable energy firm highlighted the transformational power of apprenticeship programmes. Reflecting on his own experience, Mr Sheehy remarked: “Apprenticeships give you a foundation of skills that can lead anywhere. My career started with an apprenticeship straight after I had finished school, and I’m incredibly proud of how that journey shaped my path. Apprenticeships offer young people a hands-on route to an exciting, rewarding career and play a vital role in our nation’s future.”
Donncha Ó Treasaigh, Acting Chief Executive, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board addressing the 2024 graduates.
Donncha Ó Treasaigh, Acting Chief Executive, Limerick and Clare ETB, said: “High-quality apprenticeships are the cornerstone of a skilled workforce, providing a bridge between education and employment. They offer people a practical pathway to highly rewarding careers, while equipping employers with the talent they need to thrive. Though the conferring of today’s Advanced Certificates represents a significant milestone in a craftsperson’s career, it is of vital importance also that every training and development opportunity is availed of to advance their current technical skills and to expand the range and diversity of these skills in career improvement and advancement.”
“Employers play a key role in the delivery of the Apprenticeship Programme and I would like to take this opportunity to thank employers who participate in the programme and who have facilitated the graduates with a great opportunity to advance in their chosen profession. In addition, I would like to acknowledge the hard work, commitment and dedication of the instructors across all the Further Education and Training campuses in our two ETB regions, and the lecturers at the Technological Universities. Graduates today have achieved a significant milestone in their careers and the award they receive is a result of their dedication and hard work when they were in training with the ETB’s, Technological Universities and with their employer.”
Hairdressing Apprentice Laoibhse O’Malley with her proud mentor Thomas Downes.
One of the very proud graduating apprentices was Laoibhse O’Malley, an award-winning hairdressing apprentice at Limerick and Clare ETB’s College of FET, Raheen Campus and Bridget Haren Hair and Beauty in Ennis, Co Clare. Laoibhse won a coveted first-place award at WorldSkills Ireland at the RDS in Dublin, the country’s leading event dedicated to promoting skills, apprenticeship careers, and workplace opportunities for young people. She also won another prestigious national award in 2023 when she was crowned ‘Apprentice of the Year’ in the hairdressing category by the National Apprenticeship Office at an awards ceremony at the Mansion House in Dublin. Speaking at the graduation about her time as an apprentice, Laoibhse said: I felt a huge sense of pride after qualifying as a hairdresser with a Level 6 Advanced Certificate. It’s been an incredible journey filled with creativity, hard work and countless hours of practice. It wouldn’t have been possible without my colleagues in Bridget Haren Hair and Beauty and the mentors in the Raheen Campus.”
Apprenticeships have become increasingly central to Ireland’s workforce development, contributing skilled professionals to industries such as hospitality, construction, renewable energy, and automation. Limerick and Clare ETB and Kerry ETB are dedicated to enhancing apprenticeship options, ensuring they remain accessible to learners across the country. The National Apprenticeship Awards not only celebrated the graduates’ accomplishments but also underscored the ongoing commitment to supporting Ireland’s economic and environmental goals through education and training. The graduation ceremony concluded with a strong message of pride, motivation, and an optimistic outlook on the future of apprenticeship programmes in Ireland.
To find out more about apprenticeships, visit generationapprenticeship.ie.
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