Best apprenticeship to do

Agri mechanics are hard got at moment, although some say not treated the best by main dealers ( dont know if thats true)

Was talking to a local Carpenter today, he said he has to keep his phone turned off most of the time because he hasn’t time to answer all the calls looking for him to do jobs. He has turned down roofing several new houses lately because he can’t get anyone to help him. He could name his price to work in Dublin but has had his fill of that crack. All the young lads want to be electricians now he reckons, seems to be plenty of them about.

He said it’s impossible to get anyone to build blocks now, easier ways of making money i suppose.

I'd say all of them judging by any farmer I know. If you're creative and a lateral thinker I'd go with carpentry or mechanic... assuming modern mechanic apprenticeship training will include electrics as well as traditional ICE.

Hair stylist. Saloon at home... great gossip, fantastic magazines and you'll be the best dressed farmer. Those shoes!!

I always thought mechanic was one of the worse trades - pay is poor enough, and it’s cold, uncomfortable work…

I think any of the trades would be a good option.

I’d say go for the one that appeals most to you…

Was going to say this, the money is crazy as they're as scarce as hens teeth, if I had my time again I do that or plumbing. I spent 15 years blocklaying and picked up plastering with it from working with my brother, I wouldn't be the best plasterer but I'd be well able to put it on and finish small jobs, it stood to me over the years with work but plastering and blocks are wicked hard on the body, so plumbing or lift engineer would get my vote, at 25 you think you're invincible, at 50 you're hobbling around going for scans on hips and shoulders, I'm driving a lorry now and to be honest it's no easier than a trade

Is there a framework for apprenticeships ? How would a young person go about getting an apprenticeship? in any trade ?

Id recommend a plumbing apprentichip. Plumbers are scarce. And will always be needed.

Reading all the comments has me nearly leasing out the place and heading off to the big smoke, would someone past 50 still cut it☺️

Anyone with a pulse and who actually turns up to work these days cuts it😂😂

Blocklayers are being phased out on big sites as they are too unionised and things coming in prefabricated and lifted into place. One off house builds they are flying it. Blocklaying and plastering are tough on the body.

Any trade will trump farming in terms of what you will make money wise.

If I were choosing a trade I would choose the one which interests me the most. Maybe ask a few for some work and that would likely assist.

I did a sparks apprenticeship after college when the recession hit but never finished my time. Loved it. If going for sparks make sure its commercial

Instrumentation would be my pick. I did it and I'm in instrument commissioning for a long time since. Easy job and the money is good.

I was coming on to give the same list as yourself . I am a plumber by trade originally and did a related degree and progressed to consulting engineering.

What i would say though its one thing completing the apprenticeship , its another story to become really excellent at your trade. If you become one of the best in any trade you will be snapped up for opportunities in the future. If plumbing or refrigeration, learn everything you can about heat pumps, maintenance and repair because there is a massive shortfall in that area now and its only growing.

An apprenticeship is great, you are getting paid while you learn. The only problem is every leaving cert student out there would give their right arm for one. The reality is most young fellas can't get into one, they are all very closed shops to outsiders so unless you know someone you are heading to college.

Son of mine got into an Electrical engineering apprenticeship specialising in Robotics and control about 8 years ago, at the time the company only looked at students with straight A's in honours Maths, physics and applied Maths and even then they had there own set of interviews to weed out those on the spectrum. same young fella couldn't get a look in to do any apprenticeship locally.

It would be easier to get into the wet trades (plastering, blockwork, stone mason, tiler), but avoid blocklaying if possible as too many surfs get on the ryanair and get off in Dublin airport as a blocklayer. Plus it will wreck your back in 10 years. Plastering would be the best of them as you have a good bit of inside work.

Carpentry is ok, but doesn't pay that well unless you go contracting, too many carpenters about, plus it suffers from the surfs with questionable training too. I've seen skilled labourers who would be good at pipelaying or finishing concrete been paid more money.

Plumbing is a good trade, its easy plus most of the work is like putting together lego these days. Problem is it's another closed shop to the outsider.

If you are determined you'll find a way in, be it taking a job labouring on a site until you get to know someone willing to take you on.

Ah you must have been with a few of the lads I did time with. Nothing like flaking the bundles of rebar on a frosty morning with a sledge to try to break them apart.

OP try to get going with a builder for a while or for the summer if you're still in school. A lad that is at one-off housing or building a few houses will likely be doing alot of the different trades themselves and you might get an idea of what you like. IMO avoid all wet trades or anything to do with concrete. Alot of it is heavy work and even though the pay might be good how many lads do you see blocklaying or plastering into their late 50s or 60s?

Chippies can't be got around here at the moment, have been approached by 4 different lads in the last 6 months seeing if I'll go back at it (I never did my trade just years of experience) because they can't get anyone. It's all nice on a fine summers day but a different story when you're rained off for most of a week in November.

Do whatever interests you and it will only be half the work of something you don't like.

Any of them are paying well now. One thing I will say though is that every plasterer I know is crippled from it young and old. Puts an awful lot of pressure on the joints. Wouldn't be overly struck on mechanics, costs an awful lot to get kitted out for it if you want to go self employed down the road and the rates in garages are nothing special. Tractors and cars are getting more specialised all the time too. Most important thing I'd say though is that you like doing whatever trade you pick. I don't think I'd have lasted a week as an electrician but wouldn't have minded blockwork or carpentry but everyone is different.

Motorway constuction 2000 - 2008 gave lads a great break around here, they were basically hired if they were prepared to sit in a diggerr for 12 -14 hr shift, there was weeks of rough work to train them, and a lot of of them now are sought after and on great money

They're sitting now in a nice warm cab and outa the muck.

I think you propably could get easier then mechanic/electrician/any building .What about refrigeration seems basic enough

Anything that is automated has instrumentation in the process somewhere. Well, we come along and make sure the instrumentation is got up and running. That instrumentation could be a flowmeter measuring the amount of fluid dispensed into a vial of vaccine to a vibration sensor on a GE gas turbine that is not too far away from what is on the wing of an airplane.

The company's vary depending on the industry. Offshore oil and gas is where I spent most of my time but recently pharma is the new kid on the block. And the newborn is battery plants.