Electric.ie Issue 39 May-June

ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 21 – ‹• ‘ •‡…”‡– –Šƒ– –Š‡”‡ ‹• ƒ •‡”‹‘—• •‹ŽŽ• •Š‘”–ƒ‰‡ ‹ ”‡Žƒ† ”‹‰Š– ‘™Ǥ  ”‡…‡– ›‡ƒ”• ƒ’’”‡–‹…‡•Š‹’• •‡‡‡† –‘ Šƒ˜‡ †”‘’’‡† †‘™ –Š‡ Ž‹•– ‘ˆ…ƒ”‡‡”…Š‘‹…‡• ˆ‘” •–—†‡–•Ǥ Ireland Skills Live 2019 is tackling head on the negative perceptions students, their parents, and in some cases their teachers and career advisers have about apprenticeships or skills as a future career pathway. Negative perceptions range from poor pay, poor working conditions to a lack of job satisfaction. There can be nothing more empowering than a real face to face opportunity allowing students, parents and teachers to experience the realities that so many of our apprenticeships and •‹ŽŽ•…ƒ ‘ơ‡” –‘†ƒ›Ǥ Ireland Skills Live 2019 hosts the ƒ–‹‘ƒŽ •‹ŽŽ• ƤƒŽ• Ȃ ƒ —‹“—‡ showcase of over 20 varied skills in a competitive setting, the Industry News Ireland Skills - National Finals in RDS ർ With a serious skill shortage in Ireland, events such as this can help to change perceptions and to encourage apprenticships as a career pathway for young students. winners in each event having the opportunity to represent Ireland at the World Skills Olympics in Russia. Visitors were encouraged to sit in on the daily panel discussions. These featured some of Ireland’s most successful business men and women who started their careers with an apprenticeship. Many spoke about how they developed a successful and rewarding career thanks to their start as an apprentice. The “Skills Careers Live “area featured a wide range of employers, all showcasing the range of jobs and careers they …—””‡–Ž› Šƒ˜‡ ‘ ‘ơ‡”Ǥ Our main interest on the day was to visit the Electrical Installation section of the competition. Š‡ ƤƒŽ‹•–• Šƒ† ƒ —„‡” ‘ˆ installation tasks to complete. The eventual winner was Barry Forde of MSL ETB. Congratulations to ƒ””› ƒ† ƒŽŽ –Š‡ ƤƒŽ‹•–•Ǥ Jones Engineering Laura Foley (LIT), Liam Kelly (LIT) and Eleanor O Brien (Specialist Technical Services (STS) Group) MercuryEngineering Electrical apprentices in action Barry Forde, MSL ETB took electrical installation award. Presented by Dr. Vivienne Patterson (HEA)