Four craft programmes compared
All four programmes lead to a Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft in the named trade. Each has seven phases and a minimum duration of four years, provided every phase is passed. Four years is a minimum.
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| Trade | Minimum duration | Off-the-job blocks: phases 2 / 4 / 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Carpentry and joinery | 4 years; Level 6 | 21 / 11 / 10 weeks |
| Electrical | 4 years; Level 6 | 22 / 11 / 11 weeks |
| Plumbing | 4 years; Level 6 | 21 / 11 / 11 weeks |
| Plastering | 4 years; Level 6 | 20 / 10 / 10 weeks |
Block lengths come from the SOLAS programme brochures. Waiting time for a training place comes on top.
Entry: age, education and an employer
The minimum age to start is 16. There are three ways to meet the education requirement: Grade D in five Junior Certificate subjects or an approved equivalent; an approved pre-apprenticeship course; or three years of work experience gained after age 16 in a relevant designated industrial activity that SOLAS accepts.
The work-experience route suits career changers without a Junior Certificate. SOLAS decides what experience is acceptable, so ask your local ETB apprenticeship team to confirm yours before you rely on it. If you took the Junior Cycle, check the equivalent grade with SOLAS or your ETB.
You also need an employer. The employer must be approved to train apprentices and must register you within two weeks of recruitment. Employers can ask for more than the programme minimum, so read the vacancy as well as the programme.
Finding the employer
An apprenticeship starts with a job. Employers advertise apprentice vacancies on the Generation Apprenticeship website, and you can also approach approved employers directly in the trade you want. Hold a valid Safe Pass card before site work; the construction guide explains how to get one.
Intake differs by trade. In 2024 there were 3,074 new electrical registrations, 832 in plumbing and 771 in carpentry and joinery. Plastering has stayed near 30 a year since 2022, so expect fewer vacancies there.
Training-place availability affects the calendar. The craft-duration tool estimates when your next block may start, alongside your registration and phase dates.
What happens in the seven phases
Phases 1, 3, 5 and 7 take place with the employer. Phase 1 covers induction, health and safety, tools and basic skills. The later workplace phases develop and assess practical skills. Phase 2 is delivered in a training centre, and phases 4 and 6 in an educational college. You are assessed throughout, by theory, practical and skills demonstration tests.
The blocks differ by trade. Plumbing covers hot and cold water, central heating, gas installation safety and renewable energy. Carpentry covers joints, first and second fixing, timber roofs and joinery. Plastering covers rendering, skimming, dry lining, external finishes and tiling. Electrical covers electrical science, installation techniques, motor control, automation and alarm systems. Choosing a trade means choosing that work.
On-the-job pay: years, not phases
For apprentices covered by the construction order, the WRC lists these hourly minima from 1 August 2026. Each is a share of the craftsperson rate. The table runs by apprenticeship year, and year 2 is a different thing from phase 2.
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| Apprenticeship year | Minimum / hour | Share of craftsperson rate |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | EUR 7.91 | 33.33% |
| Year 2 | EUR 11.87 | 50% |
| Year 3 | EUR 17.81 | 75% |
| Year 4 | EUR 21.37 | 90% |
The WRC applies these rates to workers registered as apprentices under the Industrial Training Act 1967 who work for a construction-sector employer. For electrical and plumbing apprentices, ask the employer which agreement sets the rate, and on which date you move up a year.
Off-the-job pay: the training allowance
Craft apprenticeships in place before 2016, which includes these four trades, pay a State allowance during phases 2, 4 and 6 in place of your employer's wage. SOLAS calls the rate the gross wage norm: employers and other partners in your industry set it. It is paid every two weeks, with income tax, PRSI and USC deducted.
The payment runs through the Department of Education payroll, so Revenue records it as a second employment. You stay employed by your sponsoring employer. Register for Revenue myAccount and divide your tax credits and rate bands between the two employments, or the allowance may be taxed at the emergency rate.
The euro amount is on the scheduling letter SOLAS issues before each block, and neither source below states a figure, so this guide quotes none. Apprenticeships developed from 2016 work differently: the employer pays throughout.
A two-year route for landscaping
The Teagasc horticulturist apprenticeship offers a separate route with a landscaping stream. It lasts two years and leads to a Higher Certificate in Horticulture. The construction guide lists its entry requirements. Apprentices are employed by a SOLAS-approved employer and earn as they learn; Teagasc sets no rate, so agree it with the employer. The four-year craft timetable and the construction apprentice rates describe other programmes.
Make the first application
Choose one or two trades and gather your results, an equivalent qualification or evidence of work experience. Search the Generation Apprenticeship vacancies and approved employers in a location you can reach.
Ask who will train you at work, where the off-the-job blocks take place, how travel is organised, and which pay arrangement applies.
Key points
Find the approved employer as well as the course. Keep the seven training phases separate from the annual wage scale, and read your SOLAS scheduling letter before each block to see the allowance.
Sources and review
Programme brochures, pay rules and entry requirements reviewed on 25 October 2026. The off-the-job payment rules come from SOLAS guidance dated October 2021 and January 2023.
