Apprenticeships are training whilst in employment. The system operates on the basis of an apprentice being hired as an employee by an employer. The employer can be located anywhere in the country.
The particular course in this case, carpentry and joinery, is a craft apprenticeship programme. These courses take place over seven phases, with alternating on- and off-the-job training. The latter (phases 2, 4 and 6) takes place in training centres and IoTs/TUs throughout the country.
More specifically, off-the-job training in the west of Ireland for carpentry and joinery apprentices takes place through the following education providers:
- Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim ETB, Galway and Roscommon ETB, and Longford and Westmeath ETB deliver phase 2 training
- The Technological University of the Shannon and Institute of Technology Sligo deliver training for phases 4 and 6 of the programme.