At National College of Ireland, we are always proud to share when our students have exciting news. We would like to congratulate and say well done to our students who have been nominated for this year’s Generation Apprenticeship's Apprentice of the Year Awards. 

Congratulations to this year’s nominees: 

• Amanda Lopes Tavares  
• Katie Downey  
• Lucy De Courcy  
• Lyndsey Roche 
• Rebecca Keane  
• Sorcha McGeown   
• Adam Roche  
• Joshua Levins  
• Robert Reidy 
• Ryan Hughes  
• Sean Garvey  
• Billy Martin 

Who is Generation Apprenticeship?  
Generation Apprenticeship is a major expansion project aiming to more than double the number of learners, of all ages and backgrounds, taking the apprenticeship route. This project promises to be a huge source of inspiration as the hope is to continue to expand apprenticeship into a broad range of 21st century industries and skill sets. Helping more people discover and develop their talents through training is at the heart of the national apprenticeship system. Apprenticeships are an exciting and proven way for employers to develop talent for their company and industry. Apprenticeships are designed by industry-led groups, supporting growth and ambition. Apprentices earn while they are learning and building valuable, tangible skills in their chosen occupation. Apprenticeships are personal and practical, with learning grounded in first-hand experiences that allow for exciting and rewarding career opportunities. 

You can click here to learn more about Generation Apprenticeship. 

Why is this Award Significant?  
Now in their fourth year, the Apprentice of The Year 2025 Awards will highlight the wonderful, strong community of apprentices, made up of over twenty-seven thousand people, who, every day, walk the walk of leadership, teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving in their work and learning. We are looking forward to seeing young apprentices celebrated at the 2025 Apprentice of the Year Awards. It is so important to celebrate and encourage forthcoming talents. 

Apprenticeships at National College of Ireland  
National College of Ireland offers higher certificate and higher diploma apprenticeship programmes in the international financial services sector and has recently launched a three-year apprenticeship degree in recruitment practice, the first specialised apprenticeship of its kind in Ireland. 

ERF Recruitment Apprenticeship at NCI 
National College of Ireland has partnered with the Employment and Recruitment Federation (ERF) to offer the BA (Honours) in Recruitment Practice. The BA (Honours) in Recruitment Practice is a new three-year apprenticeship degree which allows students to work four days a week as a Recruitment Executive and attend virtual or on-campus classes at NCI one day a week to gain this specialised qualification. 

This programme is the first of its kind in Ireland and there are no other Level 8 degrees in recruitment or qualifications in recruitment that are on the National Framework of Qualifications. The programme will provide an alternative talent pipeline to the recruitment industry and offer a new career path for candidates. 

IFS Apprenticeships at NCI 
The International Financial Services Apprenticeships offer a unique way to start a career or upskill in the financial services sector. The higher certificate and higher diploma programmes in financial services allow you to 'earn while you learn' by combining paid on the job training with academic study which is delivered at National College of Ireland. These two-year programmes are suitable for leaving certificate students or those with an equivalent qualification, who have an interest in pursuing a career in the financial services sector. 

You can click here to learn more and explore the full range of Apprenticeships at NCI. 

“National College of Ireland provides an exclusive talent pool of up-and-coming future leaders for our companies. These companies get to choose from a plethora of talent that suits their business needs, and they are guaranteed that these apprentices are being educated to the highest standard. 

With our portfolio of award winning, groundbreaking apprentices who have gone on to thrive working in Ireland and beyond, we are so immensely proud to see our apprentices being nominated in the 2025 Apprentice of the Year Awards. The recognition of their hard work, resilience, and management of full-time work and full-time study, does not go unnoticed.” ~ Darragh Brien, Apprenticeship Co-Ordinator at National College of Ireland.

Last year, eight National College of Ireland apprenticeship students were nominated for the Apprentice of the Year Award. This fantastic achievement is a testament to all their hard work throughout their time in their programmes. These nominations illustrate their commitment to growing both personally and professionally during their time in their roles. We hope they are all immensely proud of themselves. It is always highly rewarding to see NCI students thriving, and we are thrilled that this year we are seeing more nominations for NCI apprentices. 

“I’m incredibly proud to be nominated for the 2025 Apprentice of the Year Award. To be recognised among just 300 nominees out of over 27,500 apprentices nationwide is a huge honour and a reminder of how much can change when you take a leap.” ~ Lyndsey Roche, Apprentice of the Year Award nominee from National College of Ireland.  

“I am thrilled to be nominated for the 2025 Apprentice of the Year Award. I have completed two out of three years of my Recruitment Apprenticeship degree at National College of Ireland Employment & Recruitment Federation, and I am seeing first-hand the amazing impact that an apprentice programme can have. It not only develops on your skills and knowledge but also your confidence both personally and professionally.” ~ Katie Downey, Apprentice of the Year Award nominee from National College of Ireland.  

At National College of Ireland, we understand that education is personal and there are many ways one can learn. Apprenticeships can be extremely engaging, beneficial, and sometimes even life-changing opportunities for people because of the many ways they can open doors. We are thrilled to offer varied apprenticeship options at NCI. It is a huge achievement to be nominated for this kind of award, as it illustrates all the hard work that students dedicate to their apprenticeships. We look forward to the awards, and we look forward to seeing all the NCI nominees continue to strive onwards and upwards.  

#ChangingLivesThroughEducation