Leveraging Apprenticeship for Industry Growth in Ireland

2. Apprenticeship An Employer Perspective Siobhán Kinsella

3. Recruitment in Ireland • The Recruitment sector in Ireland employs 7000 people directly with approximately 750 Recruitment Agencies in Operation • Our Industry supply and enable significant FDI expansion in Ireland • Some of our competencies include: Contract management, Workforce Management, RPO, Contingent Recruitment, Marketing, Employer Branding

4. Our Industry Body

5. Our Industry Body • We are proudly represented by the National Recruitment Federation • We have a strict code of conduct to adhere to • They support, communicate, provide advice, lobby on our behalf and most importantly the NRF promotes Professional Competence in our Industry

6. Why Apprenticeship? Credentialing our Profession Validating a Professional Career Path Ensuring that our Industry has an appropriately skilled workforce To enable our growth and value to Industry Nationally and Internationally

7. Our Responsibilities • Development of a Qualification, specifically an apprenticeship is a huge responsibility • Ensuring you have an Education Partner whose QA system is robust is vital to success. Their clear commitment demands of Employers and articulation of Employer Responsibilities is vital to the success and integrity of the Apprenticeship

8. Our Education Partner • We are delighted that The National College of Ireland and specifically Deirdre Giblin and Jonathan Brittain saw the potential and benefits of our proposal and agreed to be that partner of integrity.

9. Conclusion • Being deemed fit to host an apprentice is a responsibility and privilege and an elevation of an employer relationship to learning partner. • It takes work, commitment and an understanding of the long term return for your business and your industry of that endeavor and investment. • If you as an employer or industry need to be convinced of that, apprenticeship is not the route for you.

10. 5 Top Tips • Ensure that you are working with a professional, capable Industry Body that is cohesive. • Your aims for the development of your Industry Apprenticeship are aligned and better your profession not just your company. • Don’t sugar coat the employer commitment involved in ensuring success. • This has to be a desired route and desired qualification for the learner not just the employer. • The more academic rigour involved the more integrity to the qualification, the greater the value to the industry, the host and the learner’s career.