Reference year 2026
Version 2026
Drafted by Breda McNally, Project Manager SOLAS, Ireland - and member of Cedefop's Community of apprenticeship experts for Ireland
1Scheme history
The national statutory apprenticeship system is underpinned primarily by legislation dating from 1967 (the Industrial Training Act, 1967) and subsequent amendments.
Statutory apprenticeship currently includes a ‘craft’ model introduced in the 1990s. It also includes a new ‘consortium-led’ or ‘enterprise-led’ model introduced in 2015. Both models are currently operational (end 2025). Apprenticeship in Ireland therefore has both a long and a recent history.
Up to the 1990s, Ireland’s industrial relations system largely reflected its origins in the system in place in Great Britain, before Ireland achieved independence in 1922. Ireland’s apprenticeship system had a similar genealogy and up to the 1990s it largely mirrored the system then in place in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Fundamental reform of the apprenticeship system took place in the 1990s, including a change from a long-established time served system to one that was standards-based (known as ‘craft’ apprenticeship). The current statutory apprenticeship system also includes a new ‘consortium-led’ or ‘enterprise-led’ model, first implemented in 2016, following another review of apprenticeship training in Ireland in 2013.
Both the craft and consortium-led models are currently operational (end 2025), with 78 current apprenticeships listed in the official list of current and in-development apprenticeships on the national apprenticeship website (www.apprenticeship.ie). The 25 Craft apprenticeships – those where SOLAS is listed as the coordinating provider - are primarily in areas such as construction, electrical, motor and engineering, and the 53 new consortium-led apprenticeships are in a wide range of sectors and occupations, including, for example, biopharma, finance, health, hospitality and food, information and communications technology, insurance, logistics, and recruitment.
There is a commitment to create a single integrated statutory apprenticeship system and work is ongoing in this regard and on the development of a new national apprenticeship plan 2026-2030. A public consultation process for this new plan commenced in December 2025.
2Beneficiaries
Apprenticeship in Ireland is open to all above the statutory school leaving age (16) including young adults leaving education and training and those already in employment.
The minimum educational entry requirement is the Junior Certificate or equivalent, though some apprenticeships and employers have differing minimum entry requirements. Different apprenticeships may also be particularly targeted at different groups; for example, some are targeted primarily at people already in employment.
Efforts are underway to ensure that the apprenticeship population is more representative of the population generally, including females and other under-represented groups in apprenticeship. An Access and Inclusion subcommittee of the National Apprenticeship Alliance was also established in January 2023 to support this aim.
Publicly available data on apprenticeship activity is limited and largely relates to the number of new apprentice registrations as well as the proportion of female participation on individual apprenticeships annually. It is therefore difficult to determine who (in terms of age, entry qualification level, employment status, for example) is participating in which apprenticeships or who and how many are completing which apprenticeships. Progress is being made in this regard, however, and many issues to be addressed are identified as specific actions in the national Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025.
Findings from a recent National Survey of Apprentices, for example, are likely to be informative in due course in this respect. At the official launch of the survey results in April 2025 an infographic summarising the survey’s results was published and a full report is expected to follow, including comparisons with the last national survey in 2020 and deeper analysis of over 2,000 anonymised apprentice comments. The preliminary (summary) results show that the majority of survey participants (90%) are 19 years of age or older, with almost a quarter between 23 and 30 years and 13% who are 31 years or more. With respect to outcomes for apprentices two years after qualification, the Central Statistics Office released information on outcomes for apprentices, mainly on craft apprenticeships, who qualified in 2020, which draws on datasets that include apprentices’ age at qualification between 2010 and 2020.
As the data referenced above show, the CSO study is based on a population of qualified, mainly craft apprentices in 2020, and the recent national survey of apprentices reflects a changing profile of apprentices, including in terms of age, over time.
Apprenticeship registration figures for 2023 show a total of 8,712 new apprentice registrations, (an increase of 2,535 from the 6,177 in 2019 (NAO, 2024)) and craft apprenticeships accounting for 6,588 (76%) of these.
Apprenticeship registration figures for 2024 show a total of 9,352 new apprentice registrations (NAO, 2025) (an increase of 3,175 from the 6,177 in 2019) and craft apprenticeships also accounting for 76% (7,113) of new apprentice registrations that year.
Figures relating to end November 2025, presented at the December 11 meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, report an apprenticeship population of 31,169 and 8,884 new apprentice registrations at that point, and craft apprenticeships accounting for 75% of these registrations.
Table: Annual apprentice population and new registrations
Year | Apprentice population | New apprentice registrations |
2019 | 17,829 | 6,177 (85% craft) |
2020 | 19,630 | 5,326 (82% craft) |
2023 | 27,470 | 8,712 (76% craft) |
2024 | 29,772 | 9,352 (76% craft) |
2025 (end Nov.) | 31,169 | 8,884 (75% craft) |
3Qualifications
Yes. All apprenticeships must lead to an award (from level 5 to level 10) on the 10-level National Framework of Qualifications.
Cedefop’s NQF online tool presents information on the state of play of the NQF: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/nqfs-online-tool
As noted, all apprenticeships must lead to an award (from level 5 to level 10) on the 10-level National Framework of Qualifications.
In addition, the 2023 entry for Ireland to the VET in Europe database shows that apprenticeships in Ireland leading to FET awards between EFQ levels 4 and 5 (NFQ levels 5 and 6) relate to ISCED 453, 454, 554, and apprenticeships leading to HE awards between EFQ levels 6 and 8 [NFQ levels 7-10) relate to ISCED 665, 667, 767, 864.
Many qualifications can only be achieved via the apprenticeship route. This includes all craft apprenticeships and some consortium-led apprenticeships.
Some qualifications can also be achieved via other non-apprenticeship routes.
All apprenticeships must lead to an award (from level 5 to level 10) on the 10-level National Framework of Qualifications.
All craft apprenticeships lead to a level 6 Advanced Certificate which specifies it is associated with a specified apprenticeship and occupation (e.g., ‘Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft – Electrical’; ‘Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft - Carpentry & Joinery’).
Some apprenticeship awards do not specify that they are associated with an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships are delivered in both the further education and training (FET) and higher education (HE) settings. As with all programmes in Ireland that lead to an award on the NFQ, all apprenticeships are expected to offer access, transfer and progression pathways
Apprenticeships must be between 2 and 4 years. All 25 craft apprenticeships are currently 4 years, and all consortium-led apprenticeships vary between 2 and 4 years, the majority being 2 years.
4Governance
SOLAS is the statutory and regulatory authority for all statutory apprenticeship in Ireland. Among its responsibilities in this regard, in conjunction with its network of ‘Authorised Officers’, are responsibility for approving employers, maintaining a national register of approved employers, and registering apprentices.
There are a range of other organisations involved in coordinating apprenticeship at a national level, including the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO), set up in 2022 and involving SOLAS and the Higher Education Authority, operating on behalf of the Government via the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), and the National Apprenticeship Alliance (NAA), also set up in 2022, to support and advise the National Apprenticeship Office.
Source: Developing and delivering national apprenticeships in Ireland: a handbook (2023)
The National Apprenticeship Alliance’s membership comprises representatives from the Department of Further and Higher Education; employers (including at national, sectoral and enterprise levels); trade unions/employee representatives; FET and HE providers; and apprentices. This broad membership allows for the views of all key stakeholders to be included in the national-level apprenticeship advisory and governance structure.
At individual apprenticeship level, one of the key features of the consortium-led apprenticeship model is that apprenticeship development and delivery is required to be led and informed by input from a range of stakeholders, including the industry-led group (consortium) of enterprise, employee, and education partners, to develop an apprenticeship programme and to oversee its roll out and ongoing relevance to the needs of industry. Consortium-led apprenticeships therefore require relevant stakeholders, including those representing enterprises and employees in the relevant industry, sector and/or occupation, to take the first step in apprenticeship development and delivery by submitting an initial proposal for a new national apprenticeship (Step 1 in the 10-step apprenticeship development process).
If this initial proposal is approved for further development, the enterprise-led consortium will then develop a more detailed proposal (Step 3). If and when this proposal is fully approved, the consortium then develops the programme (Steps 4 to 6) and has responsibility for implementing the national apprenticeship (Step 10) including its ongoing promotion, quality assurance, monitoring and review.
The national Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 commits to further embedding this industry-focused approach to all apprenticeships and to the development of a single apprenticeship system underpinned by a clear governance framework with strong stakeholder input. The forthcoming 2026-2030 national apprenticeship action plan is expected to continue in this vein. This means that the synergy between employers, employee representatives, learners, and the further and higher education systems is expected to contribute to the ongoing development of apprenticeships and support the close relationship between enterprise and education in this.
As noted above, the enterprise-led consortium and its key members, including the industry-led group (consortium) of enterprise, employee, and education partners, have responsibility for implementing the national apprenticeship, including its ongoing promotion, quality assurance, monitoring, review and evaluation.
Different members of the consortium also have specific responsibilities in this regard, including, for example, the coordinating (‘ultimately responsible’) provider has specific responsibilities in terms of delivery, quality assurance, ongoing monitoring of apprenticeship and providing key reporting data to relevant authorities, to ensure that apprentices are provided with the opportunity to acquire learning as set out in the apprenticeship programme.
Employers are also involved in assessment of apprentices throughout the apprenticeship.
Employer representative bodies may lead some of the business-led apprenticeships (e.g. Irish Business Employers Confederation) or an agent of an employer representative body may also provide some of the training (e.g. Retail Supervision).
The National Apprenticeship Office (NAO) was set up in 2022 and involves SOLAS (the statutory authority for all apprenticeship, and the Further Education and Training Authority) and the Higher Education Authority operating on behalf of Government. When fully established, the NAO is expected to have responsibility for all aspects of the management, oversight and development of the apprenticeship system and for implementing the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 and its successor.
The National Apprenticeship Alliance was established in March 2022 by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. The Alliance plays an important role in delivering on the Government’s commitments to fully embed apprenticeship in the tertiary education and training system. It supports and advises the National Apprenticeship Office on development of the apprenticeship system and development of new apprenticeships. Its membership comprises representatives from the Department of Further and Higher Education; employers (including at national, sectoral and enterprise levels); trade unions/employee representatives; FET and HE providers; and apprentices. This broad membership allows for the views of all key stakeholders to be included in the national-level apprenticeship advisory and governance structure.
More information on the work of the Alliance, including its terms of reference, membership and notes of meetings are published on apprenticeship.ie.
Statutory apprenticeship in Ireland is ‘a programme of structured education and training which formally combines and alternates learning in the workplace with learning in an education or training centre’ (Generation apprenticeship, 2024a, See also Generation apprenticeship 2024b, 2024c, and 2024d for further information, and www.apprenticeship.ie), and all apprenticeships must lead to a qualification on the 10-level Irish National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). Further education and training (FET) awards are at levels 1-6 on the Framework, and higher education (HE) awards are at levels 6-10.
- Apprenticeships leading to FET awards (including all craft apprenticeships and some consortium-led apprenticeships) are delivered mainly by 16 Education and Training Boards (ETBs) which are funded by SOLAS in its capacity as the national further education and training authority, via a network of contracted training or community education and training providers. The typical profile/requirements for delivering apprenticeships leading to FET awards include at a minimum qualifications and expertise in the occupation in question, and experience in teaching and learning as well as support to achieve a qualification.
- Apprenticeships leading to HE awards are delivered mainly by higher education institutions (HEIs) including publicly funded universities, technological universities, and some ‘independent’ (including private) higher education institutions.
While the specific requirements may differ between different institutions, the typical profile/requirements for delivering apprenticeships leading to FET and HE awards include qualifications and expertise in the occupation, or the relevant aspect of the occupation that is being taught; a qualification and/or experience in teaching and learning may also be desirable, and support may be provided to achieve a qualification in this.
For more detailed information, you can also see Cedefop’s activities on VET teachers and trainers: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/themes/vet-youth-teachers-trainers
The 2012 Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act underpins apprenticeships, supporting validation and quality assurance arrangements for programmes nationally. All apprenticeship programmes leading to awards on the NFQ are validated in accordance with Core Policies and Criteria for the Validation by QQI of Programmes of Education and Training (2017).
Quality assurance, including monitoring and formal review, is a key component in apprenticeship in Ireland. New national apprenticeship programmes are formally validated by an awarding body (Step 6 in the 10-step apprenticeship development process and quality assurance, including monitoring and formal review, is ongoing after implementation (Step 10) according to the requirements specified in the validation. The awarding body may be Qualifications and Quality Ireland (QQI) or another body with power to make National Framework of Qualifications awards, including universities, technological universities, and institutes of technology. A full list of bodies with power to make their own awards is available on qqi.ie.
In addition, a network of statutory ‘Authorised Officers’ and an Apprenticeship Code of Practice for Employers and Apprentices is a vital bridging support for enterprise and education partners involved in apprenticeship. Authorised Officers, working on behalf of the State, support implementation of statutory elements of the apprenticeship system, including approval of employers to take on apprentices, the apprentice registration process, maintenance of the National Register of Apprentices and associated key apprenticeship data; and support for the welfare of apprentices while in training, to include monitoring of the quality of on-the-job training. The Code of Practice sets out participating employers’ and apprentices’ duties and responsibilities, and apprentices and employers commit to adhering to the Code as part of the statutory apprenticeship process.
Apart from at individual apprenticeship level, there are a range of stakeholders and mechanisms involved at other levels and stages in apprenticeship development and delivery in Ireland to support monitoring, quality assurance, and evaluation in apprenticeships. This includes, for example:
- work undertaken by the National Apprenticeship Office, the National Apprenticeship Alliance and others involved in the apprenticeship infrastructure, published on the national apprenticeship website, including, for example, a recent National Survey of Apprentices and annual reports on apprenticeship;
- research and analysis, including, for example, a 2022 QQI review of the quality assurance, governance arrangements and processes developed for consortium-led apprenticeships that were established by mid-2021 and analysis by the Central Statistics Office of outcomes for apprentices who qualified in 2020;
- review of the apprenticeship system to inform the development of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2020-2025 and currently in train for the forthcoming 2026-2023 Action Plan. A review of the process to develop and approve new apprenticeships is also currently underway.
5Training at the workplace
Apprenticeship is defined as a structured programme of education and training which formally combines and alternates learning in the workplace with learning in an education or training centre. It is a dual system, a blended combination of on-the-job employer-based training and off-the-job training.
All apprenticeships must have a ‘minimum 50% on-the-job learning’ (italics added) but the actual proportion of time to be allocated to on- and off-the-job elements of the apprenticeship – for example, how many days per week must be on and off the job - is specified only at individual apprenticeship level (and for craft apprenticeships as a whole).
Different apprenticeships have different arrangements in place. For example, all raft apprenticeships have a specified series of on-the-job and block-release off-the-job phases. Some new apprenticeships include block release of varying durations, some include day release of varying durations, with durations also differing within some individual apprenticeships according to the stage in the apprenticeship and /or the industry context.
For craft apprenticeship, a national standard applies for each craft based on the occupational analysis of that craft, written as key learning outcomes and structured in modular format.
For consortium-led apprenticeships, the enterprise-led consortium submits its proposal for a new apprenticeship (Step 1 on the 10-step apprenticeship development process) and if this initial proposal is approved for further development, the consortium develops a more detailed proposal (Step 3). If and when this is fully approved, the consortium develops the programme (Steps 4 to 6) and has responsibility for implementing the national apprenticeship (Step 10) including its ongoing promotion, quality assurance, monitoring and review.
Different apprenticeships have different learning outcomes (technical and non-technical ones), according to those specified at validation (Step 4 on the 10-step apprenticeship development process) and any subsequent formal review and re-validation.
Quality assurance, including monitoring and formal review, is a key component in apprenticeship in Ireland. New national apprenticeship programmes are formally validated by an awarding body (Step 6 on the 10-step apprenticeship development process and quality assurance, including monitoring and formal review, is ongoing after implementation (Step 10), in accordance with the requirements specified in the validation documents.
According to the Green Skills for FET Roadmap 2021-2030, curricula across all relevant FET programmes, including apprenticeships, should be updated to embed the sustainable development focus.
Different apprenticeships have different learning outcomes and are in accordance with those specified at programme development and validation (Steps 4 and 6 on the 10-step apprenticeship development process and any subsequent formal review and re-validation). These learning outcomes are specified for both the on- and off-the-job elements of the apprenticeship in associated documentation including the curriculum.
Within the national apprenticeship system there are statutory requirements for approval of employers to employ apprentices and for registration of apprentices. These requirements are set out in the 1967 Industrial Training Act. SOLAS is the body with responsibility for delivering on this requirement and it formally appoints ‘Authorised Officers’ to support the employer approval and apprentice registration process. A network of these Authorised Officers is located within the 16 Education and Training Boards around the country.
Authorised Officers act independently on behalf of the State in their apprenticeship role; in addition to recommending employers for approval and overseeing registration of apprentices they monitor employers on an ongoing basis to ensure the quality of apprentice training on-the-job and support the welfare of apprentices during their training.
Employers must comply with the statutory obligations imposed in the Industrial Training Act, 1967 (as amended), which sets out the overall structure of the national system and the protections for, as well the responsibilities of, apprentices, employers and education and training providers; the 2012 Qualifications and Quality Assurance Act, which specifies and supports validation and quality assurance arrangements for apprenticeship programmes, and in accordance with the statutory employer approval process - and the Apprenticeship Code of Practice for Employers and Apprentices – which specifies the requirements relating to the learning environment and learning support including, inter alia:
- Training the apprentice in the required on-the-job elements of the apprenticeship programme and ensure that the apprentice has access to the full range of work specified for the on-the-job elements of the programme, and
- Employing a person qualified in the occupation to which the apprenticeship programme relates who has been approved by a SOLAS authorised officer to act as a mentor and/or assessor/verifier.
To be approved as an apprenticeship employer, an employer must demonstrate that they have the capacity and ability to provide quality, relevant on-the-job training to apprentices on a specified national apprenticeship programme. Among the requirements in this regard, including as outlined in the Apprenticeship Code of Practice for Employers and Apprentices, employers must ‘employ a person qualified in the occupation to which the Apprenticeship Programme relates who has been approved by a SOLAS authorised officer to act as a mentor and/or assessor /verifier to his/her assigned apprentices for the on-the-job elements of the apprenticeship, in accordance with the quality assurance requirements set out in the Apprenticeship Programme, including, where appropriate, completing the SOLAS-approved Assessor/Verifier Programme’.
A mentor is ‘an experienced person, qualified in the occupation to which the Apprenticeship Programme applies, who guides and supports the apprentice’. An assessor is ‘an experienced person, qualified in the occupation to which the Apprenticeship Programme applies, with responsibility for conducting on-the-job assessments; the mentor and assessor may or may not be the same person, and for some occupations an external assessor may be assigned by the Coordinating Provider’. A verifier is ‘a person assigned by the employer or the Coordinating Provider who confirms or otherwise the quality assurance of the on-the-job assessment process and results’.
As outlined in the Apprenticeship Code of Practice for Employers and Apprentices, the SOLAS Authorised Officer, in conjunction with the occupation-specific Consortium representative for the apprenticeship programme in question will provide advice and assistance to employers in relation to employer obligations under the applicable apprenticeship programme, and SOLAS reserves the right to impose appropriate sanctions, for a defined or indefinite period, up to and including prohibiting employers from registering apprentices where those employers in the reasonable opinion of SOLAS fail to meet the standards set out in the Code of Practice, which may be amended from time to time.
6Contract and compensation
The 1967 Industrial Training Act defines an apprentice as ‘……a person employed by way of apprenticeship in a designated activity and includes any person to whom the regulations under section 28 of this Act apply’.
For most purposes the apprentice is treated as an employee but with slightly less protection in terms of dismissal and pay.
Yes. An apprentice is considered an employee and is employed and paid under a Contract of Apprenticeship.
The national apprenticeship system is governed by legislation, principally the 1967 Industrial Training Act as amended, which sets out the overall structure of the national system and the protections for, as well the responsibilities of, apprentices, employers and education and training providers.
The 2012 Qualifications and Quality Assurance Act also underpins apprenticeship, supporting validation and quality assurance arrangements for apprenticeship programmes nationally.
The 1967 Industrial Training Act defines an apprentice as ‘……a person employed by way of apprenticeship in a designated activity and includes any person to whom the regulations under section 28 of this Act apply’.
For most purposes the apprentice is treated as an employee but with slightly less protection in terms of dismissal and pay.
SOLAS is the statutory authority for apprenticeship in Ireland. SOLAS’ responsibilities include maintenance of a register of employers approved [by SOLAS] to take on apprentices, and a register of apprentices. A condition of employer approval and apprentice registration is agreement to abide by the Apprenticeship Code of Practice for Employers and Apprentices.
All apprentices receive a salary (taxable income). Some apprentices (on craft apprenticeships) receive an allowance from the State during the off-the-job element of the apprenticeship, which is taxable income.
The salary varies from industry to industry, and employer, but in craft apprenticeships is subject to collective agreement.
7Financing and incentives
In craft apprenticeships, the employer pays the apprentice’s salary during the on-the-job phases of the apprenticeship, and the State pays the training allowances to apprentices during the off-the-job phases of the apprenticeship.
In consortium-led apprenticeships, the employer pays the apprentice’s salary for the duration of the apprenticeship.
The employer provides the on-the-job employer-based element of training and pays the apprentice’s salary during this time (and, in consortium-led apprenticeships developed from 2016 onwards, the employer pays the apprentice’s salary for the full duration of the apprenticeship, that is, during both the on-the-job and off-the-job elements).
Note: Providers of the off-the-job element in all apprenticeships (craft and consortium-led) receive formula-based funding support based on annual apprentice numbers, either through SOLAS (for apprenticeships that lead to a FET award) or the Higher Education Authority (apprenticeships that lead to a HE award). In addition, in recognition of the work involved in developing a national apprenticeship, a contribution by Government to the costs of developing an apprenticeship is available to consortia where a proposal has been approved for development. These aspects of the national apprenticeship system are funded through the National Training Fund and the Exchequer.
There are two main types of financial supports currently available for apprenticeship employers, the Employer Grant and the Gender Bursary.
Employer grant
In craft apprenticeship the employer pays the apprentice’s salary during the on-the-job phases of the apprenticeship only, and the State pays apprentices a training allowance during the off-the-job phases. In consortium-led apprenticeships, the employer pays the apprentice’s salary for the duration of the apprenticeship and there is no training allowance payable to apprentices from the State.
The employer grant was announced by Government as part of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025. The grant provides financial support from the State to apprenticeship employers who employ apprentices on apprenticeships that have been established since 2016 and which do not attract payment of off-the-job training allowances (i.e. consortium-led apprenticeships). Apprenticeship employers are eligible to receive a €2,000 grant annually for each newly registered apprentice, per year of the apprenticeship. effective from 01 January 2022. This means that employers with apprentices on two-year programmes are eligible for a payment of €4,000 over the duration of the programme, and employers with apprentices on four-year apprenticeships are eligible for a payment of €8,000.
Gender bursary for employers
The gender bursary for employers was introduced in 2022 as a follow on to the ‘female bursary’ which was previously available for craft apprenticeships only. The gender bursary provides for a payment of €2,666 to employers who employ apprentices on any national apprenticeship programme with greater than 80% representation of a single gender. The bursary to eligible employers is paid for each registered apprentice from the minority gender paid in two instalments. €1,333 is payable following completion of 6 months training by the apprentice(s). The second payment of €1,333 is payable following completion of 18 months training by the apprentice(s). The bursary is administered through the apprenticeship units in Education and Training Boards.
Apprenticeship development funding – for potential apprenticeship consortia
In addition, in recognition of the work involved in developing a national apprenticeship, a contribution to the costs of developing an apprenticeship is available to consortia where a proposal has been approved for development. A proposal on development funding is required from a consortium, with details required on the areas of expenditure. Up to €80,000 is available as a development contribution. Where more than one apprenticeship is proposed by a group there is an expectation of economy of scale in the development costs.
A Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme has also been introduced on a pilot basis to support members of the Irish Traveller community to access and complete apprenticeships. The programme is funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and is coordinated by the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM). Guidance and a bursary of up to €3,000 to Travellers who are starting or currently enrolled in a national apprenticeship, as well as those participating in pre-apprenticeship or Access to Apprenticeship training programmes. The bursary, which is available annually, assists with costs associated with travelling, accommodation, equipment, and preparation for training. Separately, a bursary of €2000 is available to businesses who employ a new apprentice, first year, from the Irish Traveller community. This initiative receives funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund which supports practical, targeted interventions that help people overcome real barriers to participation in education and training. An additional €360,000 was allocated to this initiative in January 2026.
A plan to undertake an economic assessment of the mechanisms currently employed by the State to incentivise participation in national apprenticeship programmes, targeting both employers and prospective apprentices, was announced in January 2026 .
National liaison and supports
A range of supports are available to apprenticeship consortia through the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO). These include the initial consortia pack which is provided in electronic format by the NAO following approval of a proposal for development, and which includes a Handbook on developing and delivering national apprenticeship in Ireland, relevant document templates and links to useful materials and web resources. A follow up consortia pack (Part 2) is made available when an apprenticeship is being launched. The key contacts in the consortium are added to the NAO mailing list for regular updates, information sharing and engagement on areas of apprenticeship interest including the national Generation Apprenticeship promotional campaign, work underway via the National Apprenticeship Alliance, and implementation of the Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025.
As part of the SOLAS Authorised Officers’ role in apprenticeship, Officers liaise with employers at the initial approval stage and on an ongoing basis to ensure the quality of apprentice training in the workplace and support the welfare of apprentices during their training.
Others involved in an apprenticeship, including stakeholders in an apprenticeship consortium, also provide support to employers, including, in some cases, recruitment of apprentices as well as training for trainers, mentors and associated personnel.
Apprenticeship website
The apprenticeship.ie website aims to be a comprehensive and useful source of information and opportunities for the full apprenticeship community. This includes a platform for potential apprentices and employers interested in using apprenticeship as a talent pipeline, as well as teachers, parents and careers advisors. Engagement with the website is monitored and feedback informs ongoing development work.
Apprenticeship online
Apprenticeship online is a free online platform providing access to information and services for apprenticeship consortia, employers, education and training providers, and Authorised Officers.
Employers can currently complete the approval process to employ apprentices on one or more programmes, be approved for the employer grant of €2,000 per newly-registered apprentice per year, advertise their apprenticeship job vacancies, and see essential apprenticeship information, including on their apprentices’ training.
Generation Apprenticeship
‘Generation Apprenticeship’ is the national marketing campaign which is managed by the National Apprenticeship Office. It promoted all national apprenticeships and acts as a coordinating brand for apprenticeship nationally. A Generation Apprenticeship partners group was formed in 2019 and now has over 400 members including employers, employer representatives, education and training providers, social partners, and graduate apprentices. The partners group meets 3-4 times a year to review progress in expansion of apprenticeship, share learning, and evidence of collective impact, and to plan campaign initiatives.
All apprenticeship consortia receive the Generation Apprenticeship branding guidelines, and each consortium is required to use the branding in their promotional materials as well as participating in the overall national and regional campaigns. Large scale marketing initiatives that are part of the Generation Apprenticeship brand include apprenticeship employer of the year awards, apprentice of the year awards, national competitions with teams of apprentices and second level school learners; apprentice ambassadors; active participation in large events such as Ireland Skills Live and World Skills, and substantial investment annually in advertising across digital, radio and print media.
In craft apprenticeship the employer pays the apprentice’s salary during the on-the-job phases of the apprenticeship only, and the State pays apprentices a training allowance during the off-the-job phases (accommodation, travel, etc.).
In consortium-led apprenticeships, the employer pays the apprentice’s salary for the duration of the apprenticeship, and no training allowance is payable to apprentices from the State.
Along with employers, apprentices are the other group at the heart of the apprenticeship system. The Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025 includes a target of 10,000 apprentice registrations each year by 2025. The Plan also includes a significant number of actions which aim to give apprentices much more of a voice than they have had heretofore, and to open access to the apprenticeship system for groups who have been significantly under-represented to-date.
‘Generation Apprenticeship’ is the national marketing campaign which is managed by the National Apprenticeship Office. It promoted all national apprenticeships and acts as a coordinating brand for apprenticeship nationally. Large scale marketing initiatives that are part of the Generation Apprenticeship brand include apprentice of the year awards, national competitions with teams of apprentices and second level school learners; apprentice ambassadors; active participation in large events such as Ireland Skills Live and World Skills, and substantial investment annually in advertising across digital, radio and print media.
A targeted campaign to promote apprenticeship opportunities among girls and women called Facts, Faces, Futures was launched in 2023. The National Apprenticeship Office also recently (May 2026) launched the national ‘Women Shaking Up the Future’ campaign, billed as the “next phase of the ‘Fact, Figures & Futures campaign’”.
There are several pre-apprenticeship programmes / ‘Access to apprenticeship’ programmes offered by Technological Universities (e.g. TUD, TUS) and some pre-apprenticeship courses in FET (primarily the ETBs, for example, Plunket College, in City of Dublin ETB).
The access and inclusion bursary was introduced in June 2025. This provides financial support of up to €3,000 to eligible learners to support living costs including travel, accommodation and materials. Learners who participate in an ‘Access to Apprenticeship’ programme in Technological University Dublin or Technological University of the Shannon from September 2023 are eligible to apply to the National Apprenticeship Office for the bursary.
As noted, the State pays apprentices a training allowance during the off-the-job phases in craft apprenticeship (the employer pays the apprentice’s salary during the on-the-job phases of the apprenticeship only); in consortium-led apprenticeships, the employer pays the apprentice’s salary for the duration of the apprenticeship.
A Traveller Apprenticeship Incentivisation Programme has also been introduced on a pilot basis to support members of the Irish Traveller community to access and complete apprenticeships. The programme is funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and is coordinated by the Irish Traveller Movement (ITM). Guidance and a bursary of up to €3,000 to Travellers who are starting or currently enrolled in a national apprenticeship, as well as those participating in pre-apprenticeship or Access to Apprenticeship training programmes. The bursary, which is available annually, assists with costs associated with travelling, accommodation, equipment, and preparation for training. This initiative receives funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund which supports practical, targeted interventions that help people overcome real barriers to participation in education and training. An additional €360,000 was allocated to this initiative in January 2026.
Apprentices may benefit from career guidance services for students in second level schools. Several online tools exist to support career guidance, e.g. Careers Portal https://careersportal.ie/, https://careersportal.ie/apprenticeships/index.php?ed_sub_cat_id=286, Fetch courses https://www.fetchcourses.ie/, Qualifax https://www.qualifax.ie/.
A plan to undertake an economic assessment of the mechanisms currently employed by the State to incentivise participation in national apprenticeship programmes, targeting both employers and prospective apprentices, was announced in January 2026 .
For more information on guidance and validation arrangements in the country, you may visit Cedefop’ inventory of lifelong guidance systems and practices and Cedefop’s information hub on validation