Who is the programme suited to?
People seeking skilled employment often face a challenge that relevant work experience is a prerequisite for many jobs.
But for many people, including school leavers, it is difficult to gain the required experience without being in the workplace.
An apprenticeship offers the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and experience needed for entry or advancement into a particular skilled career field.
This two-year programme was developed in collaboration with the telecommunications industry and is designed to take a low skills entry level position to full occupational proficiency.
The telecommunications industry currently has an overarching need for technicians and this programme will help satisfy the need for the availability of highly skilled technical employees for on-going network deployment projects.
Entry requirements
The company will employ the apprentice and offer the contract of employment. An apprentice cannot attend the off-the-job sessions at TU Dublin without being first employed by a registered employer.
Some general entry qualifications for the apprenticeship can be listed as follows:
• Applicant must be employed by a SOLAS-approved employer within the Telecommunications sector
• Applicant must hold a Leaving Certificate with a minimum of Grade O6/H7 or better in 5 subjects in the Leaving Certificate including English or Irish and Mathematics.
• Mature candidates (23 years of age of older) as of 1 July of application are eligible
• All Apprentices must pass the Ishihara Colour Vision Test (24 Plate Edition).
Timelines and course modules
The apprenticeship in Telecommunications and Data Network Engineering involves a 24 month apprenticeship contract with an employer which incorporates both on-the-job and off-the-job elements.
Over the lifetime of the apprenticeship a total of eight blocks, each of two weeks duration, will be spent attending class and practical laboratories at TU Dublin.
The eight “off-the-job” blocks incorporated within the apprenticeship require full-time attendance (Monday to Friday) at TU Dublin for duration of two weeks on each occasion.
In addition during the on-the-job elements a significant period of time will be spent in the form of work based learning with the employer in order to complete the Programme modules. Four modules will be completed in year 1 and four in year 2.
Contact:
School Of Engineering TU Dublin,
Tallaght Campus, Tallaght, Dublin 24.
Tel: +353 (0)1 404 2000
or:
Siobhan O’Callaghan
Mail: Siobhan.ocallaghan@tdne.ie
