Mayo apprentices call on local community to apply for 2023 apprenticeships

School leavers, graduates and career changers of all ages are invited to apply for the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship to achieve a BA Hons Degree whilst earning a full-time salary.

If you are looking for a new challenge or would you like to achieve a degree qualification whilst earning a salary, then the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship could be for you.

Now in its eighth year, the three-year programme enables apprentices to work and earn a full-time salary whilst studying remotely for a third-level qualification (BA Hons in Insurance Practice) from Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo. The Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship is open to everyone – school leavers, new graduates, career changers and older learners – who meet the entry requirements.

Mayo natives Caragh Murray and Molly Corduff are both second year students in the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship and are calling on the local community in the county and surrounds to apply. The apprenticeship is now open for applicants of all ages from across the country for September this year.

Caragh works with Biz Broker in Ballina and Molly with Hastings Insurance in Castlebar whilst they complete their apprenticeship, and they are now encouraging people of all ages in Mayo to consider the programme.

Up to 100 jobs are available through the programme with some of the 80+ participating financial services companies throughout the country, from large insurance corporations to smaller local brokerages, enabling apprentices to acquire technical and soft skills and learn the practical aspects of the job while studying towards a degree.

Flipping the traditional male-leaning in apprenticeship participation, this programme has the highest percentage of females in an apprenticeship with a near even split of 53% females and 47% males. The diversity continues with an age profile of 18-49 years old amongst the 125 graduates who successfully earned their way through the programme to date.

Born from a desire to bring new entrants into the insurance sector, almost eight years on the programme has achieved this and more. It has not only led to an influx of new talent, but it has also enabled insurance employers to put the right staff with the right skills in place, ensuring their business remains competitive and fit for the future.

Anyone interested in applying for this year’s programme can log on to www.earnandlearn.ie to find all the information they need, including locations of the jobs available, how to apply and entry requirements.

Dermot Murray, CEO, The Insurance Institute, commented: “We are incredibly proud of the growth of our apprenticeship programme and for the unwavering response and support from the insurance sector and prospective apprentices. Last year we welcomed a record number (107) of new apprentices and that’s a testament to the resilience, success and diversity of the programme. It also signifies a broader societal shift in terms of the realisation of the value of apprenticeships and the immense opportunities they present.

“We look forward to welcoming our 2023 apprentices and would like to thank the insurance employers involved in the programme.”

Joanne Keane, CEO of LIA, added: “The Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship presents both apprentices and employers alike with a completely unique and invaluable opportunity – not to mention the benefit for the wider insurance sector. The practical nature of the apprenticeship ensures that the apprentice gains on-the-job knowledge while obtaining the underlying academic award. The benefits of being able to immediately put what they are learning into practice while studying cannot be overstated.”

Visit www.earnandlearn.ie for further details.