Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) has welcomed an announcement by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD, of over €20.5m to expand apprenticeship capacity nationally. TU Dublin will receive €5.73m through the Apprenticeship Expansion Programme 2024.
This investment will significantly enhance the university’s capacity across its Bolton Street, Tallaght and Blanchardstown campuses, supporting 39 additional craft training blocks and a consortium-led apprenticeship (CLA) equipment project. In total, the funding will enable TU Dublin to deliver 600 new apprenticeship training places, strengthening its role as Ireland’s largest provider of apprenticeship education.
Welcoming the announcement, Dr Deirdre Lillis, President of TU Dublin, said, “This investment is a significant endorsement of TU Dublin’s leadership in apprenticeship education. Expanding capacity across key craft programmes and upgrading our training facilities will ensure that apprentices develop the advanced, industry-ready skills required in a rapidly changing economy.”
TU Dublin will strengthen and expand its Carpentry & Joinery Apprenticeship at Linenhall, Bolton Street, to meet strong regional demand and address the current gap in Phase 4 and Phase 6 training in Greater Dublin.
On its Tallaght campus, the university will double capacity for the refrigeration and air conditioning apprenticeships, adding three new blocks annually from 2025/26, supporting rising skills needs across construction, logistics, food production, and data centres, as well as national heat pump targets.
The Tallaght campus will also increase electrical apprenticeship provision by 18 blocks annually by 2028, representing a 42% rise and reflecting recent sustained national growth of 7-8% per year.
Through a consortia-led apprenticeship investment, the industrial electrical engineering apprenticeship in Tallaght will receive advanced new equipment, ensuring apprentices train with up-to-date automation and digital technologies, supporting national skills requirements.
In Blanchardstown, the capacity for the plumbing apprenticeship will grow by 75% by 2028, with nine additional blocks offered each year. The Bolton Street investment will expand carpentry, joinery, and wood manufacturing and finishing apprenticeship programmes.
At Linenhall, Bolton Street, the Wood Manufacturing and Finishing Apprenticeship will expand by 33%, with three extra blocks introduced annually by 2028, at a time when national registrations have been growing at a similar rate since 2019, underscoring strong industry demand.