Tipperary woman named Ireland’s 1,000th female apprentice

The popularity of apprenticeships is increasing amongst women, but still only accounts for a 5.2% intake

Accounting Technicians Ireland Apprentice Zoe Fitzgerald, who has become the 1000th female apprentice registered with SOLAS. Picture: John Kelly.

Zoe Fitzgerald from Ballyporeen in Tipperary has been named Ireland’s 1,000th female apprentice by the State’s further education and training agency Solas.

Ms Fitzgerald, a first-year Accounting Technicians Ireland apprentice, works with Cork City Council and studies through Cork College of Commerce.

Of 59 apprenticeship programmes available, Accounting Technicians Ireland is the top choice for women, according to Solas.

The Accounting Technicians Ireland Apprenticeship alone has 192 women on its books, accounting for 20% of all female apprentices and has reported a 40-fold increase in women apprentices since 2015, when only 26 were registered.

The popularity of apprenticeships, traditionally the preserve of male-dominated trades, is increasing amongst women, but still only accounts for a 5.2% intake.

Ms Fitzgerald, who had a Zoom call with Further and Higher Education Minister Simon Harris to discuss the milestone said the option of apprenticeships need to be more widely promoted amongst Leaving Certificate students.

“I sat my Leaving Certificate in 2015 and went on to study for a degree in Science Education at UCC. During my second year I knew it was not really for me, but I finished the course and took a year out to decide what I wanted to do.” 

“As a study route, an apprenticeship wasn’t really presented to me when I was at school, the focus was very much on going straight to college.” 

Ms Fitzgerald, who currently spends four days a week working with Cork City Council and one day a week studying online said when her younger brother was studying for his own Leaving Certificate, she asked him if he had considered an apprenticeship.

“He is now in his second year of an aircraft mechanics apprenticeship, and absolutely loves it.” 

“My brother and his friends were more aware of apprenticeship options than I was, perhaps because they attended an all-boys’ school.” 

“I went to an all-girls’ school and did not know of anyone going on to an apprenticeship. It wasn’t presented as an option.” 

Gabriela Airini, Programme Director at Accounting Technicians Ireland said the institute will continue to play its part in promoting apprenticeships amongst women.

“Accounting Technicians Ireland warmly welcomes the continued increase in women taking apprenticeships across the board, and are pleased our apprenticeship contributes towards greater gender balance at a national level.

“Since the programme’s foundation in 2017, we have consistently benefitted from a strong uptake by women, and out of over 300 apprentices currently studying the Accounting Technician Apprenticeship, more than half are women.”