Colin Burke Electrical

Great to be back at Clarin College Athenry for their Apprenticeship Week initiative!

Following our visit last year, the Careers Guidance team reported a huge level of interest in the electrical trade and strong demand from students to hear more about the apprenticeship pathway again this year. A big thank you to the school for inviting us back.

One of the highlights of this year’s visit was hearing from Padraig Mir, now a 1st Year Apprentice with us, who was actually sitting in the audience during last year’s talk at Clarin College. Padraig shared his first-hand experience of life as an electrical apprentice and the opportunities the career can offer. His message to students was simple — “Earn while you learn.”

Ger and Patricia also gave students an insight into the full structure of an electrical apprenticeship, from the initial sign-up process right through each training phase and beyond qualification.

There are incredible opportunities available within the electrical industry today, not only as qualified electricians, but also pathways into Electrical Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Quality Control, Project Management and many other specialised areas. We even have recently qualified electricians interested in now progressing towards Bachelor of Engineering Level 7 qualifications.

It’s important for young people to understand that an apprenticeship is not just a job — it is a career pathway with many exciting options to explore.

A huge credit to the students for their engagement, interest, and thoughtful questions throughout the session. We always value the opportunity to connect with local schools and support students in exploring practical and rewarding career opportunities.