Apprenticeships at UCC

19 Jun 2026

This week, over 40 apprentices from the inaugural cohort of the  Social Work Apprenticeship will graduate from their two-year programme with a Master of Social Work. This apprenticeship offers multiple entry routes, including opportunities for people without a previous university qualification, but who have sufficient relevant experience, either paid, voluntary or lived.

The apprentices presented findings from their final dissertations at the recent UCC Social Work Conference which took place on campus over two days. Congratulations to all of these trail blazers.

CORU (The Health and Social Care Professionals Council) formally approved the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Care (Apprenticeship) in April (28-04-26). This apprenticeship will provide 60 additional training places for social care workers from September 2026, marking a significant milestone for social care education and workforce development in Ireland. The launch of the apprenticeship took place in Sarsfield Court, Glanmire, with Ministers James Lawless TD and Norma Foley TD in attendance.

The Social Care apprenticeship, which follows an earn while you learn model, was developed in response to the growing and critical demand for qualified social care professionals. It combines paid work-integrated learning with off-the-job education jointly delivered by University College Cork and Munster Technological University. The three-year programme leads to a Level 8, degree qualification. The programme is overseen by a consortium-led by the Social Care All-Employer Forum. The apprenticeship with, whose employers include Tusla Child and Family Agency, Oberstown Children Detention Campus and the Health Service Executive, has now closed for recruitment, having received over 1000 applications.    

Finally, the Paramedics Apprenticeship Authorised Officer briefing took place on 22^nd May. This is the last stage in the approval process for this innovative apprenticeship.

These three apprenticeship programmes are part of a wider national suite of apprenticeships scheduled for launch in 2026. They are expected to become an increasingly important source of talent for public service recruitment and to support the Government’s target of 12,500 apprentice registrations annually by 2030.

We look forward to welcoming our new intake of over 200 apprentices to orientation for the three UCC apprenticeship programmes in September.