Limerick woman in the running to be Apprentice of Year

A LIMERICK engineer, working in Plassey is in the running to be named Ireland’s Apprentice of the Year.

The National Apprenticeship Office will, this Thursday, host the second-ever ceremony honouring people taking their first steps in employment.

It will take place in the Round Room of the Mansion House in Dublin.

Jodie Whyte, from Murroe, an apprentice engineer at Johnson and Johnson in Plassey, is one of 222 nominees for the title.

She was on the Heroes Stage at WorldSkills Ireland in Dublin’s RDS. Here, she spoke about why she became an apprentice.

A former chef, she said: “Apprenticeship has benefited me massively. I wanted a career change and the apprenticeship route provided a great option because not only are you being supported financially, but you are being supported by a whole company and you have a team of mentors behind you. I work with so many different individuals and they all have different skill sets.”

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When Jodie was in secondary school, she admits the apprenticeship route was ever mentioned to her.

“If you happen to be from a low-income family, and with the crisis we’re having right now around accommodation and the cost of living, a lot of people will not be able to afford to go to college even if they get the full Susi grant. Apprenticeship supports you financially and gives people from lower-income families a chance to go to college and have a career.

Apprenticeship is not an alternative to college, it is college and it enables ambition and ability through industry,” she said.
Jodie hopes to see more women in apprenticeships.

“We need to start from the youngest age and communicate the relevance of apprenticeship. The number of women in science, technology, maths and engineering is growing, together we need to celebrate the women of all backgrounds who are succeeding in it.”

Dr Mary-Liz Trant, director of the National Apprenticeship Office said “Opportunity is out there for those that want it.” Jodie says it was her sister who sparked her interest in becoming an apprentice, since she took that path herself.