11 Dec Dillon welcomes €1.3m funding for Electrical Apprenticeships at ATU Mayo Campus

Mayo TD Alan Dillon has welcomed the news that funding of €1.345 million has been granted for the expansion of electrical apprenticeships at ATU Mayo Campus.

Deputy Dillon said: “My colleague, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris TD today (Monday, December 11th) announced €17 million in capital funding to respond to the growing demand for apprenticeships in the higher education sector.”

The funding will be dispersed across four Technological Universities and one Institute of Technology in the higher education sector to deliver in the order of an additional 132 apprenticeship craft training blocks.

This additional capacity is required to meet the increase in apprentice registrations as indicated by SOLAS in a number of trades.

Deputy Dillon said: “I am delighted that part of this expansion includes funding of €1.3million for an additional Electrical Apprenticeship capacity in Castlebar in the form of 12 blocks, which is essentially 12 new classes to expand capacity and meet demand.

‘This will provide additional capacity at Phase 4 and Phase 6 in Electrical Apprenticeships at the Mayo campus.

Deputy Dillon said it was fantastic news that the campus in Castlebar will now cater for extra training blocks for trainee electricians. “This means that apprentices from Mayo who wish to study in their home county can now do so, instead of having to travel to the Galway campus.

‘The students take part in a programme of structured 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, which is a blended combination of on-the-job employer-based training and off-the-job training which prepares the participant for a specific occupation and leads to a qualification nationally recognised on the National Framework of Qualifications from Level 5 to Level 10.”

Deputy Dillon added: “This investment reaffirms once again the Government’s strong commitment to enhancing and expanding the apprenticeship system, putting apprenticeships at the centre of the education and training system by building on previous apprenticeship programme funding.

‘The investment is key to facilitating a strong pipeline in crucial skills areas through the expansion of craft apprenticeships in trades such as electrical, plumbing, metal fabrication, refrigeration, pipefitting and electronic security systems.”