Frequently asked questions
- The rate of pay is set by the individual employer.
- The Bio Process, Chemical Process Technician apprenticeship consortium has agreed a salary band for apprentice payment which we are more than happy to discuss with companies directly.
Yes, employers use their standard recruitment process. The Programme manager will also organise recruitment days which employers are welcome to attend.
- For an employer to get approved to train apprentices in a particular occupation, s/he must demonstrate that they have the capacity and the ability to provide quality, relevant on-the-job training to apprentices as per the requirements of the national apprenticeship programme and the statutory apprenticeship system overall.
- An Authorised Officer (AO) from your local Education and Training Board carries out a site visit to the employer's premises and the employer is formally assessed. The AO makes a recommendation to SOLAS on the employer's suitability to deliver the programme. If the employer is not initially approved, the AO will work with the employer to identify what requirements remain to be met and the employer can be re-assessed
- The company pays the apprentice salary for both on and off the job phases which is set by individual company
- The government pays for college training
- An annual apprentice registration fee of €1,500 applies. Many companies agree to pay this on the apprentices behalf
The Bio Process, Chemical Process Technician apprenticeship runs on a block release model. The apprentice will attend on the job learning for 2 weeks at the start of each intake. The apprentice will then attend off the job learning (TU Dublin) for a 15-week block before returning to the company. This is repeated in year 2 of the programme.