Earning as you learn is proving a major draw

Apprenticeships can be a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation; you need the student who is looking for a farmer or employer in a certain area, and you need the person who is looking to hire and work with the apprentice.

Over the last few years, we have seen the Government expanding apprenticeship training capacity with a €77m allocation in Budget 2025.

As a result, apprenticeship registrations have nearly doubled since the 5,326 registrations in 2020, and they are on track to hit the target set of 10,000 apprentice registrations by the end of 2025.

Beyond traditional trades of services, new apprenticeship streams are launching this year which include options in transport and logistics, laboratory work, and various tech fields.

The Public Service Apprenticeship Plan aims to increase its annual registrations to 750 by 2025, with brand new courses in areas like digital marketing, executive officer roles, and planning technician positions.

As students await their Leaving Cert results and CAO offers, it’s important to remember that there are many pathways to successful and rewarding careers – and apprenticeships are one of the most valuable yet often overlooked pathways.

According to Gillian Ryan, stakeholder engagement manager in the National Apprenticeship Office, they are offer a unique blend of practical, hands-on learning and classroom-based education that allow students to gain real-world experience from day one.

“By exploring apprenticeship opportunities now – through resources like apprenticeship.ie – students can discover options across a wide range of industries. Many of these programmes lead to qualifications at NFQ Levels 5 to 10. This means they can offer the same progression routes as university degrees, but with the added advantage of industry experience and income,” she says.

For parents, Gillian advises to keep an open mind and help your child explore all available options based on their interests, strengths, and learning style.

“University is not the only route to education and training. Encourage them to research, talk to people working in different sectors, and attend apprenticeship information events.

“The world of work is changing rapidly, and apprenticeships can provide a dynamic and direct route into meaningful, long-term careers.”

With farm apprentices starting at a salary of €30,000 a year, it is a great pathway for students who are hoping to earn and learn, especially if the traditional means of completing a BSc in Agricultural Science or more academically focused courses doesn’t suit them or their learning style.

Willie Beresford, Dungarvan, Co Waterford

Willie Beresford completed two years at Kildalton College under the Level 5 and Level 6 programme before starting agricultural science at South East Technological University (SETU). After the first month, he decided to drop out and start the farm apprenticeship with Teagasc as he would gain a Level 7 qualification, but 80% of his learning would be on the farm, with 20% in the classroom.

Being a more practical learner, he decided the ‘earn and learn’ model would suit him better.

“I got predicted grades during the Leaving Certificate, as it was during COVID-19. I had planned to go to SETU and do the agricultural course that my brother did but I didn't get the points.

“I took a year out and worked for local farmers to make sure I liked the lifestyle and it was what I wanted to do. After two years in Kildalton, I signed up for the course in SETU. I did a month there and realised it just wasn’t for me.

“I was falling behind and I wasn’t the best at tuning in to class. I was worried about passing exams, so I pulled out at the end of September as nothing was sticking in my head. I was chatting to one of the lads from Kildalton who told me they were still taking applications for the apprenticeship if I was interested.

“I didn’t take too much notice of the apprenticeships when we were told about them in school and I didn’t realise how good they were, maybe they weren’t advertised as well as they could have been. I think it’s a no brainer as your learning as you go and putting everything into practice. It’s just great.

“I started the apprenticeship in October, a month after the rest of the class started. There was a bit of catching up to do, but I found it a lot easier as you complete one week of a college block every month in Kildalton or Moorepark.

“You’re then putting what you learn straight into practice on the farm you’re working on.

“When I was doing relief milking last year, I was milking two evenings a week on a farm. I rang up the farmer Raymond McCarthy and he said he would take me on as an apprentice.

“You get responsibility too. I have the cows nearly milked by the time he comes out to the farm, and we work as a team – he trusts me a lot. The salary is very good, it’s just above €30,000 and I am working 40 hours a week, which means I can help Dad with silage or do other jobs in my spare time.

“I am lucky, I don’t have to pay for accommodation as I am only a 45-minute drive from both colleges.

“The biggest thing I have learnt from Raymond is the management side of things. Through working as a team, we can get time off and work more efficiently. I’ve learned the importance of managing grass and doing a weekly grass walk. When you know the value of your grass, that informs you in terms of supplementing feed and concentrates.

“We are milking 194 cows, and being efficient with management in the parlour also makes things run a lot smoother.

“The farm apprenticeship that I am doing has definitely given me a better understanding of farm management. I find it a better way of learning for me as I’m learning as I go.”