For Eibhilín Hennessy, her Electrical and Instrumentation Engineering Apprenticeship allowed her to combine theory and practical experience.

“I started my Electrical and Instrumentation Engineering Apprenticeship in 2016 and qualified as an Electrical and Instrumentation Craftsperson this January. I did my apprenticeship with Thermo Fisher Scientific on the Cork Pharmaceutical Manufacturing site.

I gained a huge amount of experience and worked with some brilliant craftspeople. The decision to do an apprenticeship was definitely the right one for me.

I found the combination of learning the theory in dedicated college ‘blocks’ as well as the hands-on experience you get from working with qualified electrical instrumentation craftspeople and, later on, jobs of your own, a brilliant way to learn. My company also supported me with part-time evening college courses which allowed me to gain further qualifications, all whilst working and earning a good wage.”