The Irish apprenticeship system is recognised as one of the best in the world, and last Thursday, the Park Hotel, Mullingar hosted dozens of student apprentices from Westmeath, Offaly, Longford and Laois, and some from Kildare, who had successfully completed four years (208 weeks) of training at the Athlone Training Centre and were being presented with their QQI Advanced Certificate Craft awards.
A total of 96 of the apprentices receiving the Advanced Certificates were from Westmeath, but while an overall total of 197 of the young people completed the four-year training course, only about a quarter of that number were in a position to attend last week’s special presentations. A sizeable number of the apprentices are now working overseas, due to the emigration toll of recent years. Some others were unable to take time off work, but what was clearly in evidence at the presentation ceremony was that all the young people involved, whether present or not, had displayed full commitment and had worked hard to achieve such distinction.
As was pointed out by the CEO of SOLAS, Paul O’Toole, who presented the certificates, Irish apprentices have shown themselves to be among the best in the world; at the most recent World Skills Competition Sao Paulo in Brazil, the Irish team of 14 apprentices gained two gold medals and eight medallions of Excellence, and were ranked 11th in the world.
Mr. O’Toole and other speakers expressed thanks to the mothers and fathers of the young people involved, and to employers, tutors and friends, who had managed to come along to applaud their success. The Advanced Certificate Craft levels gained at Level 6 of the National Framework of qualifications, and internationally recognised. He described an apprenticeship as a very valuable career option for young people, with real employment prospects. He said that they saw “apprenticeships going from strength to strength” and the recent announcement of 25 new apprenticeship proposals was part of ongoing work to ensure that the Irish system remained responsive to economic and employment needs. The system is geared to helping students gain employment and he urged them all to stay on top, with lifelong learning, and embracing change and growth.
Garett Buckley (Longford-Westmeath ETB Education Officer), representing the Educational Training Boards, congratulated the apprentices on successfully completing the aprenticeships, and said they were graduating at a time when the Irish economy needs their skills more than ever. The Irish apprenticeship system had proven highly successful in producing highly skilled workers and said the Training Centre in Athlone produced excellent graduates. Young people should look not just at college or university, but other career possibilities.
John Costello, Manager of Athlone Training Centre, who acted as MC, said it was a proud day for the apprentices, and a day when all at their Centre were also proud, and it was a privilege for him to be Centre manager. He paid a special tribute to the parents, often the “mammy,” who provided the initial encouragement to the graduates to take up the apprenticeship, and thanked the employers involved also who made the apprenticeships possible.
JOHNNY MURTAGH
Referring to the fact that they had also run a course with jockeys also, and former graduates, Johnny Murtagh and Charlie Swan turned up at the awards ceremony. Mr Costello said “We talk about the importance of skill, knowledge and competence, but Johnny Murtagh, now a noted trainer and a household name talked of skills, knowledge and attitude. Johnny talks about attitude and said that ‘If you have the right attitude going forward, that is the most important thing to bring with you.”
“We often hear from prospective employers who need someone and they’ll look for someone who can work and has the right attitude,” Mr. Costello said.
Thursday’s event was jointly presented by SOLAS and the Longford-Westmeath ETB.
