MSLETB apprentice's graduation took place last Friday

Students from Leitrim were among seventeen apprenticeship education and training programmes

Apprentices from Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal attended the graduation ceremony last Friday, October 13, in Letterkenny.

Sixty-four apprentices from Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim were among eighty-eight craft apprentices from seventeen apprenticeship programmes. An additional 124 recently qualified apprentices could not attend the ceremony due to employment and other commitments.

Donegal Education and Training Board (ETB) and Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB) presented the graduates with their certificates at a graduation ceremony in Letterkenny.

The graduates qualified in the following apprenticeships: Agricultural Mechanics, Carpentry and Joinery, Construction Plant Fitting, Electrical, Electronic Security Systems, Heavy Vehicle Mechanics, Instrumentation, Mechanical Automation and Maintenance Fitting, Motor Mechanics, Metal Fabrication, Plastering, Pipefitting, Plumbing, Wood Manufacturing and Finishing, Toolmaking, Stonecutting and Stonemasonry, and Vehicle Body Repairs.

Presenting the awards, Donegal ETB Chief Executive Anne McHugh stated, "We are incredibly proud of all of our Apprentices today as they celebrate this milestone moment with family and friends. They have been further supported by Apprenticeship staff within their ETBs and, of course, by their employers. All of our stakeholders play such a vital role during the apprenticeship journey, and today, we salute all those who work so hard to prepare our Apprentices for their vital role in our economy.

"Our Apprentices are extremely well prepared to work in Ireland where their skills are much in demand; they now have a qualification which can take them anywhere they want to go. We wish them all well as they embark on this next career phase."

Speaking at the event, Chief Executive of MSLETB, Tom Grady, said, "Apprenticeships play a pivotal role as they equip apprentices with the knowledge, skills, and expertise that industries demand, providing a pathway to rewarding careers.

"Our graduating apprentices should take great pride in their decision to pursue this journey. I extend my gratitude to the employers and mentors who supported these graduates throughout their apprenticeships. Your dedication and hard work are commendable to the apprentices, and you truly exemplify your employer, these apprenticeship programmes, and our ETBs."

Apprenticeships are delivered through a combination of on-the-job and off-the-job training that allows them to earn while they learn and gain an internationally recognised qualification.

By the end of August this year, almost 9,000 employers have used apprenticeships to help support and grow their businesses nationally, with nearly 25,500 apprentices currently completing their training.