Minister Higgins congratulates the Civil Service ICT Apprenticeship Class of 2025

The Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, Digitalisation and eGovernment, Emer Higgins, has congratulated the Civil Service ICT Apprenticeship Class of 2025 on their recent graduation, highlighting the important contribution they will make in strengthening digital capability across the public service.

Minister Higgins said: “I am delighted to attend this Graduation and to recognise the successful completion of the Civil Service ICT Apprenticeship Programme. This cohort represents the second intake of the programme, which forms a core pillar of the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan. Since its launch in 2019, over 120 graduates of the ICT Apprenticeships have been recruited into ICT roles in the Civil Service.”

The Minister also acknowledged the many stakeholders who have contributed to the programme’s success, including:

• Fastrack into IT (FIT) – the National Coordinating provider for ICT Tech Apprenticeships;
• City of Dublin Education and Training Board – the training partner for the programme;
• The mentors across the various Civil Service Departments and Offices, some of whom were in attendance, who provided valuable support to our apprentices; and
• the Office of the Government CIO, from her own Department, who oversee the whole programme.

Minister Higgins added:

“The Government is committed to creating meaningful and accessible career pathways across the public service. This apprenticeship model opens the door to individuals from diverse backgrounds who want to play a role in shaping Ireland’s digital future. This is an exciting time to join the Civil Service in an ICT capacity. The Government is keen to ensure Ireland is positioned to maximise the benefits and opportunities of AI and other technologies, building on commitments in the Programme for Government.”

Peter Davitt, CEO of FIT thanked the Minister for attending and noted that the event marked a significant milestone for the graduates, who recently completed their two-year Software Development Associate, Computer Networking Associate, or Cybersecurity apprenticeship programmes.

Over 120 graduates of the Civil Service ICT Apprenticeships programmes in 2019 and 2023 have been recruited into ICT roles in the Civil Service. Graduates from the programme receive a Level 6 qualification on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) and are eligible to apply for permanent positions within the Civil Service as ICT Specialists at Executive Officer level.

Note for Editors:

The graduation marked the completion of the second intake of ICT Apprentices to the Civil Service. Recruitment is already underway for the third intake to the Civil Service ICT Apprenticeship programme, which is a core pillar of the Public Service Apprenticeship Plan. Successful candidates will be employed by a government department for the two years of this full-time programme and will be actively involved in exciting digital projects that can have a real impact and help improve the lives of others. The programme includes both on-the-job and off-the job elements, and those succeeding on the programme will attain a National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) Level 6 Advanced Certificate in one of three disciplines Network Engineering, Software Development or Cyber Security, depending on which stream is pursued.

The full-time programme is run in conjunction with FIT, (Fastrack to IT), the national coordinating provider for ICT Tech Apprenticeships, and City of Dublin Education and Training Board. Fastrack into Information Technology (FIT) is a representative organisation of the technology sector committed to growing Ireland’s tech talent pipeline.