26 new national apprenticeships approved in wide range of areas

26 new national apprenticeships have been approved in a wide range of areas.

They are across a range of sectors from animation to healthcare to agriculture.

It is part of a €122m investment in apprenticeships in 2018.

Colin Farrelly who is in his 4th year of an apprenticeship in aircraft maintenance engineering for Aer Lingus.

He says there is a lot of misinformation about apprenticeships.

He said: "There definitely is a stigma behind it.

"I don't think people understand that an apprenticeship leads you to a real job and gives you real learning just as much if not more real world learnig than a college degree.