The minimum age at which the employment of an apprentice may commence is 16 years of age.

The minimum educational requirements are:

Grade D or "Achieved" in five subjects in the Department of Education & Skills Junior Certificate Examination or an approved equivalent,

or

The successful completion of an approved Pre-Apprenticeship course,

or

Three years’ work experience gained over sixteen years of age in a relevant designated industrial activity as SOLAS shall deem acceptable.

Please note: To become an apprentice you will need to pass the Ishihara Colour Vision Test (24 Plate Edition). For further information, contact your local Education and Training Board.

You must obtain a job as an apprentice in your chosen occupation. Your employer must be approved to train apprentices and must register you as an apprentice within 2 weeks of recruitment.

Note: These are the current approved minimum educational requirements for apprenticeship programmes, however, previous experience of the following subjects would be an advantage but not essential:

• Mathematics
• Physics
• Engineering
• Metalwork
• Technical Drawing/Graphics
• Technology

Phase 1: With Employer

• Induction Training
• Introduction to Health & Safety
• Introduction to Tools & Equipment
• Introduction to Basic Skills

• Work Based Training and Assessments

Phase 4: Delivered in Educational Colleges (11 weeks)

Course Content:

• Turning
• Milling
• Surface Grinding
• Engineering Steels, Mouldmaking, Jigs & Fixtures
• CNC (computer numerical control) Programming, Operations and Computers

Phase 5: With Employer

• Work Based Training and Assessments

Phase 6: Delivered in Educational Colleges (11 weeks)

• Work Based Training and Assessments

The overall duration of this apprenticeship is a minimum of 4 years provided all phases are successfully completed.
On successful completion of the programme the learner is awarded a Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft - Toolmaking.

The training is provided by the following institutions:

• ATU Sligo campus (IT Sligo)

• Further information is also available from your local Education and Training Board.

As a Toolmaker you will need to be physically active and to be able to work with your hands.

An awareness of health and safety and good housekeeping is essential as well as attention to detail.

The Toolmaker must have the ability to:

• Plan and organise
• Communicate effectively
• Solve problems
• Work independently and as part of a team
• Show a positive attitude
• Recognise the need for good customer relations
• Demonstrate good work practices including time keeping, tidiness, responsibility, quality awareness and safety awareness

Toolmakers require many skills including:

• Accuracy with measurements and calculations
• Ability to interpret engineering drawings to plan the production of a given part or product in accordance with manufacturers specifications
• Operating a range of milling and boring machinery, lathes and CNC equipment in the manufacture of parts and products based on the drawings specified
• Assembling of manufactured parts ensuring correct and accurate assembly of finished components
• Use of a range of hand and power tools
• Testing finished product and assessing for accuracy in accordance with specified drawings
• Implementing all relevant health and safety legislation in their work practices
• Use of manufacturing machinery and measuring equipment

Aspects of Work

• Learning and developing new practical craft-related skills, knowledge and competence
• Working with and learning from experienced craftspersons.
• Seeing a job through from start to finish
• Comply with Health and Safety requirements
• Using tools and operating machinery
• Being responsible for controlling or adjusting equipment
• Demonstrate good analytical and troubleshooting skills
• Understanding technical drawings and diagrams
• Being accurate with numbers in counting, measuring and arithmetic
• Being well organised and careful with practical tasks
• Keeping up to date with changing technologies
• Being physically active
• Taking responsibility for own learning, including the allocation of study time.
• Working in a noisy environment
• Using tools or machinery to restore/repair/fabricate parts
• Working with control systems
• Passing all your phase exams (theory, practical skills demonstration)
• Earning as you learn

On successful completion of the apprenticeship programme, apprentices are qualified to work within the recognised trade or profession. 

Note: People in employment have a number of options for both Educational and Career Progression. It might also be possible to gain promotion within your existing company.  By using your existing qualifications and your experience you might to able to secure an alternative position in a more senior role in another company. It may also be possible to set up your own company based again on your existing qualifications and experience.  Whatever route you decide to take remember education is a lifelong pursuit and you can always continue to up skill and/or retrain, whatever your age.  Links to some educational and enterprise supports can be found below.    

Career Progression Useful Links:  

Educational Supports:  

On completion of an apprenticeship your educational progression options may be offered as full awards on the NFQ levels 7-10 National Framework .  You may also decide to embark on a partial award or to up skill in a particular area by undertaking a short specialised course.  

Depending on your skills, knowledge and experience some of the opportunities below might be appropriate to help develop your Career pathway.   

• Springboard & conversion courses  
• Skillnet Sector learning network courses
• Skills to advance Local ETB Board
• Further education training centres Fetchcourses
• Post graduate education Search Post Graduate options

Enterprise and Self-Employment Support:

On completion of anapprenticeship if you feel you have the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience you may decide to set up your own business. The links below might be useful to support you:

• Local Enterprise Offices, For profit Local enterprise support
• Local Area partnerships For profit enterprise support
• Social entrepreneurs: Not-for-profit enterprise support
• Franchising: Developing your business under an established franchise

To become an apprentice in Ireland you must be hired by an employer. Apprenticeship employers are formally approved by SOLAS in advance of employing apprentices. Apprentices get a formal contract of employment as part of their apprenticeship.

Opportunities for this Apprenticeship arise on an ongoing basis throughout the year. In order to secure an apprenticeship contract of employment, you should target companies you would like to do your apprenticeship with by applying directly to them.

To find an apprenticeship, you can search apprenticeship vacancies and a list of currently approved apprentice employers on the Apprenticeship Jobs & Employers Portal. You can search for vacancies by location, and employers in each apprenticeship.

Use this link to explore a list of Approved Employers by Region and by Apprenticeship type.

Please note: To become an apprentice you may need to pass the Ishihara Colour Vision Test (24 Plate Edition). For further information, contact your local Education and Training Board.

Full eligibility criteria for this apprenticeship are available in the Toolmaking Apprenticeship brochure.

Finding an employer and securing your apprenticeship

Finding an employer or registering your interest with an official Coordinating Provider is one of the first things you need to do to start an apprenticeship.

Online Jobsites

Here are some direct links to employment websites that frequently list apprenticeship vacancies.

Note: These websites may include vacancies that are not QQI accredited Apprenticeships.

As an apprentice, you earn while you learn.

Employment Salary (On-the-job)
The employer pays you a salary while you are being trained on-the-job. The rate of pay is agreed between you and your employer.

Training Allowance (Off-the-job)
A training allowance is paid by the local Education and Training Board (ETB) while you are attending the off-the-job training. In some cases, a contribution towards travel or accommodation costs may be paid.

The sector the apprentice's employer is engaged in will determine the allowance payable. These allowances are calculated on the gross wages paid by industry in each sector. The weekly gross wage norms for different industries are listed below.

Information on taxation of off-the-job payments can be found here.

Apprentices complete two of their three phases of off-the-job training in a higher education institution. A student contribution must be paid for this part of the training.

The amount of the student contribution is a proportion of the annual student contribution paid by students who are attending a full-time course in higher education. The student contribution is paid directly to the higher education institution.

The student contribution for this apprenticeship is €1,000 for Phase 4 and €1,000 for Phase 6