New 2020 Apprenticeship programme launched in Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is looking for its latest intake of apprentices, across a range of roles including Apprentice Fitter, Apprentice Motor Mechanic and Apprentice Electrician.
The roles will be located in Dublin, Drogheda, Limerick and Portlaoise, and applications should be submitted by 24th July 2020 – full details on applications, education requirements and competencies needed are available at www.irishrail.ie/careers .
Video: apprentice Conor Byrnes talks about Iarnród Éireann’s apprenticeship programme
As an equal opportunities employer, the company is striving for greater gender balance, and encourages women to consider apprenticeships and apply.
Jim Meade, Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, commenced his career with the company as an apprentice, and said “as important as the skill and trade an apprenticeship provides you with is, in Iarnród Éireann we can also provide you with a career. Both myself and our Director of Human Resources Ciaran Masterson began our careers as apprentices, and throughout our managerial ranks I am proud of the representation we have from apprentice intakes, demonstrating the lifelong opportunities we can provide.”
“I would also encourage women who have an interest in these areas to apply – we are a stronger company when we better reflect the customers we serve, so not only is the apprentice programme an opportunity for women who apply, I consider it an opportunity for our company too.”
“We are beginning a major investment programme which will see new fleets commissioned, new infrastructure developed, and new train control and train maintenance facilities built and commissioned. It is a truly exciting time to join, and help us build a sustainable railway and future for our economy and society” Meade concluded.
Apprentices are trained to the highest possible technical standards, and working in an extremely safety conscious environment on some of the most modern train fleets in Europe. Iarnród Éireann has a long and proud tradition of providing apprenticeships across a range of roles. The apprenticeships are designed to train apprentices in skills for use in Iarnród Éireann, but which are also skills which are in demand in wider industry.
The programme will involve rotation throughout the various train maintenance depots at Drogheda, Dublin, Portlaoise and Limerick providing candidates with the opportunity to work on the various systems across the wide range of electrical and diesel fleets. Whilst apprentices will be trained in their core trade of Electrician, Fitter or Diesel Mechanic, the programme offers a high degree of cross-skilling between trades so that candidates will be afforded the opportunity to become multi-skilled in all aspects of train maintenance.
For Electrician apprenticeships, apprentices will be trained across the three disciplines of Iarnród Éireann’s Signalling, Electrical and Telecommunications department, and will learn about maintenance of existing control systems and installation and commissioning of new systems.
Full information is available at www.irishrail.ie/careers