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.

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:

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

Phase 1: With Employer

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

Phase 2: Delivered in Training Centre (20 week)

Course Content:

• Induction
• Welding/Fabrication
• Panel Repairs (Bench)
• Basic Vehicle Alignment
• Mechanical
• Spray Painting
• Damage Assessment, Crash Repairs, Valeting
• Related Theory

Phase 3: With Employer

• Work Based Training and Assessments

Phase 4: Delivered in Educational Colleges (10 weeks)

Course Content:

• Welding/Panel Repairs
• Engine Management Systems
• Automobile Electricity/Electronics
• Chassis Alignment & Repair
• Spray Painting
• Related Theory

Phase 5: With Employer

• Work Based Training and Assessments

Phase 6: Delivered in Educational Colleges (10 weeks)

Course Content:

• Mechanical
• Major Structural Repairs
• Aluminium Vehicles Bodies
• Replacement of Major Structural Units
• Steel Welding
• Spray Painting
• Related Theory

Phase 7: With Employer

• 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 – Vehicle Body Repairs.

The training is provided by the following institutions:

• TU Dublin – City Campus
• City of Dublin Education and Training Board

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

As a Vehicle Body Repairer 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. There is also an increasing emphasis on the development of communications and customer relations.

The Vehicle Body Repairer 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

Occupational Hazard: If you suffer from an allergy or skin complaint, the chemicals that you use may affect you. 

Note: A person wishing to become an apprentice Vehicle Body Repairer must pass a colour–vision test approved by SOLAS.

Vehicle Body Repairers require many skills including:

• Working with a variety of specialised hand and power tools
• Fabrication of part panels and shaping sheet metal on a workbench themselves before welding it into place
• Application of primers such as etch primer, filler primer and surface primers
• Spray painting and preparing new or repaired panels as per manufacturer’s instructions
• Paint finishing and polishing as per manufacturer’s instructions

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
• Working with vehicles
• Operating equipment
• Being accurate with numbers in counting, measuring and arithmetic
• Working with technical drawings and diagrams
• Using hand skills to shape metal
• Using tools or machinery to fabricate components
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Being well organised and careful with practical tasks
• Lifting or carrying heavy items
• Taking responsibility for own learning, including the allocation of study time
• Working in a noisy environment
• Being physically active
• Passing all your phase exams (theory, practicals, skills demonstration)
• Earning as you learn

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

Opportunities arise from time-to-time for promotion to supervisor level. Many craftspeople use their apprenticeship qualification as a platform to launch careers such as engineers, managers, owners of businesses, teachers and instructors amongst others.

Where apprentices and craftspeople have the necessary ability, initiative and basic qualifications, opportunities are available for advancement. These include advanced technological and management courses which are available in institutes of technology, schools of management, professional institutes, etc.

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
• Skils 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.

Full eligibility criteria for this apprenticeship are available in the Vehicle Body Repairs Apprenticeship brochure.

Please note: To become a vehicle body repairs apprentice you must pass the Ishihara Colour Vision Test (24 Plate Edition). For further information, contact your local Education and Training Board

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.

Opportunities for this apprenticeship may be available from the following organisations:

• SIMI

Opportunities for this apprenticeship may be available from the following organisations:

• Dublin Bus

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

Apprenticeship Pay Scale

The employer pays the apprentice while s/he is being trained on-the-job. A training allowance is paid by the local ETB while the apprentice is attending the off-the-job training, and an Apprentice Rate of pay during the on-the-job phases of their apprenticeship. Generally, the rates of pay are based on a percentage of the fully qualified rate for the occupation:

• 1st Years – 33.3%
• 2nd Years – 50%
• 3rd Years – 75%
• 4th Years – 90%

Training Allowances

A training allowance is paid by the local ETB to apprentices while attending off-the-job training. In some cases, a contribution towards travel or accommodation costs may be paid if deemed eligible. 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 amount the apprentice gets will generally be less than that, as it is based on the net take-home pay of the relevant sector. The weekly gross wage norms for different industries can be found here 

Student Contribution

The Annual Student Contribution is charged to students attending Higher Education Institutions including Institutes of Technology (IoT). Apprentices now pay the same contribution as full time students, but their contribution is based on the time they spend in the Institute or College.

The Student Contribution is payable to the IoT /College on the date of registration for the training phase. You should consult the relevant IoT/College for details of payment options.

Note: Apprentices are required to pay an examination fee to the IoT or College for repeat exams. For further information, click here.