Minister Canney welcomes expansion of Electrical Craft Apprenticeship at ATU Mayo
Seán Canney TD, Minister of State for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports and Leader in Cabinet of the Independent Ministers, has welcomed the expansion of the Electrical Craft Apprenticeship to the Mayo campus of Atlantic Technological University describing it as a significant boost to Ireland’s national skills pipeline.
The expansion will see four additional training blocks delivered annually at ATU Mayo in Castlebar, increasing capacity by 192 apprentices each year. It comes at a time of strong and sustained demand for qualified electricians, driven by housing delivery, major infrastructure investment, climate action targets and the national energy transition.
Minister Canney, a former lecturer at GMIT, now ATU, said the development underlines the importance of regional campuses in meeting national skills needs.
“This is a very significant development for the wider western region. Expanding electrical apprenticeship capacity at ATU Mayo strengthens access to high-quality training while responding directly to employer demand across construction, energy and infrastructure sectors,” Minister Canney said.
“Apprenticeships are central to building the workforce needed to deliver the National Development Plan and meet our climate and infrastructure commitments.”
The expansion responds to rising apprentice registrations identified by SOLAS and to ongoing demand from employers across the electrical and construction sectors. The initiative aligns with Government policy to place apprenticeships at the heart of Ireland’s education and training system, as outlined in the Action Plan for Apprenticeships.
The additional capacity is supported by ATU’s new School of Apprenticeships, underpinning apprenticeship growth across its Mayo, Galway, Sligo, Letterkenny, Killybegs and Connemara campuses.
Minister Canney said the expansion represents a practical and targeted response to both immediate training pressures and longer-term workforce needs.