Apprenticeships: powering Ireland’s skills future through collaboration

James Lawless

Minister, Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

In today’s fast-evolving world of work, building an inclusive, accessible and agile lifelong learning system is not a luxury — it’s a necessity.

The system must be built on collaboration: between the Government, academia and industry. Apprenticeships sit at the very heart of this partnership.

Expanding aviation apprenticeships

Apprenticeships offer real-world training, internationally recognised qualifications and a direct route to rewarding careers. Crucially, they allow learners of all ages and backgrounds to earn while they learn, developing skills aligned with industry needs. As Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, I’m proud to see this model delivering for both learners and the economy.

Nowhere is this clearer than in our aircraft mechanic apprenticeship programme. We recently announced a doubling of training places, from 79 to up to 160 by September 2025. This means 80 new apprentice jobs in our aviation sector. This expansion is the product of close collaboration between my Department, the National Apprenticeship Office, education and training providers and key aviation employers across the country.

Meeting that demand with a skilled,
future-ready workforce is essential
for our competitiveness.

Meeting global aviation demand

Ireland is a global aviation hub. We manage 60% of the world’s leased aircraft, and our aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul sector contributes €370 million to the economy and supports 3,200 jobs. Demand for licensed aircraft maintenance engineers continues to grow, both here and internationally. Meeting that demand with a skilled, future-ready workforce is essential for our competitiveness.

This expansion is just the beginning. We’ve tasked SOLAS with developing a dedicated national Centre of Excellence for aircraft mechanic training by 2028. This ensures our apprentices are trained to the highest international standards in facilities that match the ambition of the sector.

This is our Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021–2025 in motion: responsive, ambitious and aligned with real economic needs. By embedding skills development into our national growth strategy, we are strengthening pathways for learners and ensuring Irish enterprise can access the talent it needs to thrive.