Apprenticeships in Ireland: A Guide for Employers

For apprenticeships in Ireland, employers play the central role: an apprentice is an employee who learns on the job with you and off the job with an education provider, and you must be approved by SOLAS before you can take one on. This guide sets out what the official pages say about approval, registration, your responsibilities and the supports available, and flags where we could not confirm something. SOLAS also runs a wider range of employer supports, which we cover in our overview of SOLAS and ETB training supports for employers.

How apprenticeships work

Citizens Information (page last edited 13 January 2025) describes an apprenticeship as a structured training route into a craft trade or profession, combining on-the-job training with an employer and off-the-job training in an education centre. It says apprenticeships typically last two to four years, there is no upper age limit, and the minimum starting age is generally 16 to 18 depending on the programme.

There are two broad types:

• Craft apprenticeships, such as carpentry, plumbing, motor mechanics and electrical work, which generally last four years and include three off-the-job periods, usually starting in an Education and Training Board (ETB) and later moving to a Technological University or Institute of Technology.
• Newer apprenticeships, introduced since 2016, which are developed by industry-led consortia and cover areas the page lists as including ICT, finance, hospitality, farming and the public service. Some are open to people already in employment.

The qualification levels are described slightly differently on different pages. Citizens Information says apprenticeships lead to awards from Level 5 upwards on the National Framework of Qualifications, with craft apprenticeships reaching Level 6. The gov.ie page on becoming an apprentice says programmes lead to qualifications at levels 6 to 10 and that at least half of an apprenticeship takes place at work. Check the specific programme for its level; our guide to NFQ levels and QQI explains how the framework works.

Step one: SOLAS approval

Citizens Information states that all employers must be approved by SOLAS before they can hire an apprentice. The gov.ie page says the same: an employer has to hire you, and employers must be approved by SOLAS. The SOLAS Code of Practice for Apprenticeship 2026 (version 1.0, which states that it applies from 13 October 2026) says employers must apply to SOLAS to be approved to train apprentices in a statutory apprenticeship.

The Code also says approval may lapse where an employer has no active registered apprentices for a period of more than 18 months.

Step two: register the apprentice

The Code says an individual is not considered an apprentice until formally registered with SOLAS, and that employers must notify SOLAS and register the apprentice within two weeks of the apprentice starting work. Neither Citizens Information nor the gov.ie page describes the registration process step by step, and the apprenticeship.ie website is the place to check for current forms, so use it together with SOLAS and your local ETB for the current process.

The entry requirements described by Citizens Information include being at least 16 and holding a minimum of grade D in five Junior Cycle subjects or an equivalent, although employers may ask for more. Alternative routes exist for people without those qualifications, such as an approved preparatory course, or being over 18 with at least three years of relevant work experience, with an assessment interview. Some apprenticeships require a colour-vision test.

Your responsibilities as the employer

According to the SOLAS Code of Practice:

• Employment status. The apprentice remains an employee for the whole programme, including off-the-job time, and the contract of employment must include statutory leave entitlements.
• On-the-job training. The employer is the provider of the on-the-job elements and must give the apprentice the full range of work related to that training.
• Release for off-the-job training. Employers must not reduce wages or add extra working hours because an apprentice attends off-the-job activities.
• Mentors, assessors and verifiers. Employers must appoint suitable people to these roles.
• Health and safety. Employers must provide health and safety training and information, including on the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 and related regulations and codes of practice.
• Monitoring. Employers must ensure assessments are fair and consistent and cooperate with SOLAS monitoring. Short-time working requires written notice to a SOLAS Authorised Officer at least two weeks beforehand (and advance approval), and the Authorised Officer must be notified in writing before an apprentice's contract is terminated.
• Records. Employers must keep accurate on-the-job training and assessment records and retain them for 7.5 years from the end of the apprenticeship. The Code says falsifying records is an offence under the Industrial Training Act 1967.

The Code also lists sanctions that SOLAS can apply to employers, from written warnings to registration bans or removal from the register. We have not described the detail. Because the Code states that it applies from 13 October 2026 and is version 1.0, check SOLAS for the version currently in force before you rely on any of the above.

Pay, leave and off-the-job phases

Citizens Information says that for apprenticeships from 2016 the employer pays for the full duration and the rate of pay is agreed between employer and apprentice. For apprenticeships developed before 2016, it says the employer pays a recommended apprenticeship wage during on-the-job training and the ETB pays a weekly allowance during off-the-job training. Statutory annual leave keeps accruing during off-the-job phases but is taken during on-the-job phases, at times agreed with the employer.

Supports for employers

Citizens Information says supports for employers include a grant for each registered apprentice (for certain employers), a gender-based bursary and the One More Job scheme for small and micro businesses. The page also mentions a bursary for apprentices from under-represented groups. We have not repeated any amounts, because we could not open an employer grant page that shows its own date, and amounts and conditions change. Check the current position with SOLAS and apprenticeship.ie. If your interest is broader training funding, our guide to Skillnet Ireland funding covers a separate route.

Finding and recruiting an apprentice

Citizens Information says people can search for craft and newer apprenticeship vacancies on apprenticeship.ie and apply directly to employers, or approach an employer and ask whether they would take them on. For craft apprenticeships, they can contact the Apprenticeship Section of their local ETB. The page does not describe how employers should advertise a vacancy, so ask SOLAS, your local ETB or the programme coordinator. The page also mentions preparatory options, including a 12-week Access to Apprenticeship Programme.

A practical checklist for Dublin employers

Our suggestions, not requirements:

• Confirm which apprenticeship fits your business and who coordinates it.
• Apply for SOLAS approval before you advertise or promise a place.
• Name the mentor and assessor in advance and agree their time.
• Set a diary reminder for the two-week registration window.
• Plan rosters around off-the-job phases so the apprentice is not penalised for attending.
• Set up a records folder from day one.

What we could not confirm

The apprenticeship.ie pages we tried returned no readable content, and the gov.ie page shows no date. We have not stated grant amounts, fees or rates, and we have not described individual apprenticeships.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need approval to take on an apprentice?

Yes. Citizens Information and gov.ie both say employers must be approved by SOLAS before hiring an apprentice.

Is an apprentice an employee?

Yes. The SOLAS Code of Practice says the apprentice remains an employee for the duration of the programme, including off-the-job time.

Can I reduce an apprentice's pay while they are in college?

The Code says employers must not reduce wages or add extra working hours because an apprentice attends off-the-job activities. Citizens Information describes different arrangements for pre-2016 apprenticeships, where the ETB pays an allowance during off-the-job phases, so check which applies.

How long must I keep apprenticeship records?

The Code says on-the-job training and assessment records must be retained for 7.5 years from the end of the apprenticeship.

Where can I check the current rules?

With SOLAS, apprenticeship.ie and your local ETB, as programmes and supports change.

Get approved first, register on time, and keep good records.