Participants in the City & Guilds and QQI Level 5 and 6 courses in software development from the ICT AP pilot programme received their certificates recently.
This two-year programme, which is a collaboration between FIT (Fastrack to IT ) and GRETB, is widening the ICT industry’s access to highly motivated tech enthusiasts with in-demand skills. This course offers a combination of off-the-job and on-the-job skills development, the programme is perfect for those wishing to ‘earn while they learn’.
This pilot programme paved the way for the new national tech apprenticeships. This was road tested by 159 leading technology companies in Ireland with more than 250 candidates sponsored nationwide, and was a clear illustration of employer interest and the industry’s demand for skills.
Due to the success of the pilot programme in 2017, FIT was appointed coordinating provider by the Apprenticeship Council for the delivery of three technology apprenticeships at NFQ Level 6 — software development, network engineering, and cyber security. FIT is working in collaboration with SOLAS and the ETBs in the dissemination of these apprenticeships.
The pilot programme was delivered in the GRETB Training Centre in Mervue and the contractor which delivered the course on behalf of the collaborators in Galway was Precision Training. The course offered City & Guilds awards aligned to QQI Level 5 and 6 in software development along with internationally recognised industry certification in Oracle Java, SQL, Cloud+, Linux, Microsoft MCSD, MCSA, MCSE, VMware, and PHP Zend.
Ninety four per cent of the students on this pilot programme were offered full-time contracts with their sponsor companies on completion of the programme.
For further information on these apprenticeships see www.fit.ie/techapprenticeships or www.apprenticeship.ie
You can also call GRETB on 091 706200 for information on this programme or any of its many apprenticeships and courses.
