Ibec’s Laboratory Apprenticeship expands to TUS to support regional life sciences talent
- Technological University of the Shannon becomes the fourth academic partner delivering the industry-led biopharma and science programme.
Ibec’s Laboratory Apprenticeship programme will expand to the Athlone Campus of Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), bringing industry-led training to companies and jobseekers across Ireland’s West, Northwest, and Midlands regions. The laboratory apprenticeships are "earn while you learn" higher certificate and degree programmes that combine paid, on-the-job training with academic study for the Life Science sectors. The apprenticeship programmes are targeted at school leavers, career changers and mature students who have an interest in pursuing a career in science.
TUS becomes the fourth higher education partner to deliver the national initiative. First launched at TU Dublin (Tallaght) in 2018, the programme expanded to SETU Waterford in 2019 and MTU Cork in 2022 to meet growing workforce demand in Ireland's life sciences sector. The programme has seen 174 apprentices graduate as fully qualified Laboratory Technicians and Analysts and currently supports 142 students across the four institutes.
Dr Carmel Kealey, Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biotechnology, welcomed TUS’s new apprentices to the Mary Ward Centre for Sciences on the Athlone campus. She wished the students every success in their academic journey over the next three years.
Dr Don Faller, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Health, thanked the sponsor companies and Ibec for their support and commitment in launching the programme in Athlone. He also expressed his desire that the programme will be offered in other TUS campuses in the years ahead.
Speaking at the launch, Audrey Devlin, Programme Executive said:
"We are delighted to expand our very successful laboratory programme to the Midlands by welcoming TUS as a programme partner, joining our three existing academic partners. At a time of considerable technological change in high-value life sciences sectors, having the opportunity to combine academic study with on-the-job training has become even more important.
By pairing higher education qualifications with structured, hands-on workplace training, companies can future-proof their operations and build a work-ready talent pipeline to remain competitive on a global scale. The laboratory apprenticeship enables businesses to develop specialised talent tailored to operational needs while providing candidates with a direct, paid entry point into dynamic scientific careers. The expansion of our educational partnerships is a reflection of the value placed on this approach to learning and workforce development."
The laboratory apprenticeships lead to a Level 6 Higher Certificate in Science as a Laboratory Technician and a Level 7 Ordinary Bachelor of Science Degree as a Laboratory Analyst.
