Last year, The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, outlined its Action Plan for Apprenticeship – a five-year plan which seeks to deliver a modern apprenticeship system that is reflective of Irish society and supports both learners and employers. As part of this, a new National Apprenticeship Office has been set up, so we interviewed Dr. Mary Liz Trant, its Director about the new office, her plans for the year ahead and what she expects the apprenticeship landscape might look like in the next five years.

Commitment and leadership are required in equal measure if you are to be an apprentice employer. It takes the dedication of an entire organisation to make the apprenticeship programme work well, but of course, there is one role that is the most significant – and that’s the apprentice’s Supervisor.

At The Insurance Institute, we place an enormous value on recognition and we feel it’s hugely important to recognise and celebrate achievements.

The Apprenticeship Recognition Awards is one such example of this. The awards, which place every December, are devoted to celebrating success amongst apprentice graduates, but also employers – particularly Supervisors who have gone over and above what’s required and who have had a significant impact on the apprentices and their development.

Chloe Davis says that no two days are ever the same and as an Insurance Practitioner Apprentice, she loves the variety her job with Hegarty Financial Management provides – here she tells us more about what being an apprentice is like and what her typical day at the office consists of.

Apprenticeships are a hot topic at the minute and if you're considering applying for one, there are a few key points you should know. Here are some of the frequently asked questions about the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship.

Are you considering applying for the Insurance Practitioner Apprenticeship programme? These are the steps you’ll need to take.

Whether you’ve just finished school and are applying for your first office job or you’re changing careers and looking to enter the insurance industry, it’s important that your CV is professional, relevant and stands out from the crowd.

Our CEO Dermot Murray was delighted to have the opportunity recently to chat with Minister Niall Collins about the great work he and his department are doing in the area of apprenticeships. This is part 2 of this series - you can read part 1 here. 

The second part of our 5 part blog series focuses on Mary-Jane Halpin – Director of HR and Business Change at Cornmarket.