Access to Apprenticeship

Access to Apprenticeship

Access to Apprenticeship (ATA) supports the transition of young people (16-24 years old) from disadvantaged backgrounds into an apprenticeship scheme. The 15-week full-time programme will run twice a year, starting each September and January in line with the TUDublin academic calendar.

The programme is delivered by the School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering & Built Environment on the Bolton Street campus of TU Dublin.

The Access to Apprenticeship programme is funded by the Higher Education Authority in Ireland.

Access to Apprenticeship gives you the opportunity to;

• Sample a range of apprenticeships in; Construction, Engineering, Electrical, Motor and Aviation industries
• Develop employability skills relevant to apprenticeship
• Prepare your CV, Interview Skills and ePortfolio
• Undertake three weeks of work experience
• Safe Pass, Working at Heights and Manual Handling certification
• Site visits to companies who are leaders of their Industry
• Network with Erasmus+ students from European countries

Access to Apprenticeship

Minimum entry requirements

• Aged 16 – 24
• Minimum grade 40% - 54% (New Junior Cert) or grade D (Old Junior Cert)
• Satisfying the following criteria:

1. Gross family income on or below €46,790
2. You or Your Parents/Guardians in receipt of: (a) a means tested social welfare payment OR (b) A medical card/GP visit card holder in
3. You: (a) Attended a designated disadvantaged school (DEIS) OR (b) Live in an area of disadvantage. Verified using the Eircode for your address OR (c) Are or have been in the care of the state OR (d) Your Parents/Guardians have not gone to college (higher education)

 

How to Apply

Applications for the next TU Dublin Access to Apprenticeship programme starting in September will be open from 16th April 2026. Applications will only be available from this webpage from this date.

The course will run from 2nd September 2026 to 18th December 2026.

Due to the competitive nature of the process, candidates will be shortlisted based on their applications, after which interviews will be conducted.

Application Form

Applications are currently not live. Applications for our September programme will be available from 16th April 2026.

Information for Organisations, Guardians, and Referrers You are welcome to download these brochures and share them with any eligible young people you support or know.

Further Information For further information, email accesstoapprenticeship@tudublin.ie

 

We have made short videos of three of our most recent graduates – Niamh, Shannon and Ellen.

Access and inclusion bursary

The access and inclusion apprenticeship bursary announced by the Government in 2023 provides financial support for under-represented groups including Travellers to access apprenticeships. Successful applicants to the Access to Apprenticeship programme in Technological University Dublin are eligible to apply for bursary support from the National Apprenticeship Office (NAO). Applicants will complete an application form provided by the NAO. Up to €3000 per learner is available to support costs associated with travelling, accommodation, equipment, preparation for training. Learners accepted onto the Access to Apprenticeship programmes will be eligible to apply for the bursary.

This bursary is supplied by the National Apprenticeship Office, and not TUDublin. To find out more please contact the National Apprenticeship Office via apprenticeship@nao.ie

 

Women in Apprenticeship

A key objective of the Access to Apprenticeship programme is to increase the participation of women in craft apprenticeships. National statistics indicate that women make between 1-2% of registered craft apprentices. We have progressed 83 young people into craft apprenticeships and 16% of those are female. Year on year we have more talented women who want to explore craft apprenticeships applying to the programme. We have gone from 4% female participation in 2018 to 29% in 2021. We are proud of our female graduates who are now forging careers as Electricians. Carpenters, Metal Fabricators, Motor Mechanics and Refrigeration & Air Conditioning technicians/craftspersons. The Access to Apprenticeship Programme has developed a suit of activities to promote craft apprenticeships to young women:

Women in Apprenticeship Open Day

In March of each year, to coincide with International Women's day, we host our Women in Apprenticeship Open Day. Our last event in 2019, was attended by the then Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell O’Connor and included several employer stands. Over 145 young women attended the event.

Former Access to Apprenticeship students, Mykie and Mollie Northridge, DCC’s and Jones Engineering’s first female apprentices at the Women in Apprenticeship Open Day 2019.

‘Women Building the Future’ Lunches

The lunch supports female apprentices/students to develop their own network of female colleagues, share their experiences in an informal and relaxed environment. The programme held its first Women in Apprenticeship Networking Lunch in November 2019. After the success of the first lunch, the inaugural ‘Women Building the Future’ Lunch took place on the 24th of January 2020. We are planning to continue to run these lunches as it gives aspiring female apprentices and the female Access to Apprenticeship students an opportunity to develop a peer support group and to share advice and guidance with one another

Try a Trade’ Day for young women

This event provides interested young woman (between the ages of 16 -24 years old) with an opportunity to ‘have a go’ at craft based apprenticeships. The ‘Try a Trade’ event is free. The activities are interactive, informative and offer interested participants access to some of the basic skills needed for craft apprenticeships. If you are interested in participating in our upcoming Try A Trade Day's please complete this Expression of Interest form.

Try a Trade Event Nov 2019 - Woodcraft workshop delivered by TU Dublin Lecturer Jennifer Byrne

If you are interested in any of the above initiatives and would like more information; please email accesstoapprenticeship@tudublin.ie