A new state of the art apprenticeship facility has opened at the Technological University of the Shannon's campus in Athlone, with the capacity for up to 1,000 apprentices a year.
The new facility will almost double the campus’s existing capacity and will also cater for the significant increased demand for apprenticeships nationally.
TUS already offers a variety of popular craft apprenticeships at its Athlone Campus and is now offering electrical apprenticeships for the first time.
Minister for Higher Education Simon Harris said there has been an unrelenting focus on the delivery of apprenticeships in Ireland and it is working.
"More people are signing up than ever before," the Minister said.
TUS has seen a 40% increase in the number of apprentices being trained at its Athlone Campus since 2019.
The "earn and learn" apprenticeship model is proving to be a big draw for many students, according to Dr Sean Lyons, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics at TUS Athlone Campus.
"Apprenticeships are not a diminution from a traditional college education," he said
"They are just as vital and lead to equally rewarding careers. They’re simply a different type of course, and they often appeal to people who can’t commit to full-time education from a cost point of view and would rather the earn and learn type apprenticeship model where they are in the college for 12 weeks and they’re paid."
Currently, TUS trains 240 apprentices per term over three terms.
Professor Vincent Cunnane, TUS President, said: "As a regionally focused technological university, our job is to provide skills and abilities for the region, recognising skills gaps where they exist and rising to meet the challenge, and we work closely with our industry partners and with government to identify and address those needs."
