How Trades Are Becoming a Top Career Choice

Apprenticeships are booming — and for good reason.

According to a recent Irish Times piece, graduates from electrical and engineering apprenticeships are now earning over €50,000 a year in their early 20s. Registrations have soared from just 2,500 in 2020 to more than 9,000 in 2024, with numbers expected to keep climbing.

For years, trades were seen as “second best” to university. But with the housing crisis, rising costs, and a huge demand for skilled workers, that stigma is fading fast.

One great example is Petra O’Flaherty, daughter of long-time OnlineTradesmen user and master stonemason Terry O’Flaherty. Petra is completing her apprenticeship in stonemasonry, proudly continuing her family’s eighth-generation tradition. She’s also competing in WorldSkills Ireland and fronting the Department of Education’s Building Heroes campaign to inspire young people into trades.

“Attitudes are changing,” Petra says. “When I was in school, apprenticeships weren’t promoted. Now they’re seen for what they are — a rewarding and respected career path.”

At OnlineTradesmen, we’re proud to see members like the O’Flahertys showing that apprenticeships are not just about preserving tradition — they’re about building Ireland’s future.

Looking for Your Next Apprentice or Hire?

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Since 2006, we’ve supported Ireland’s tradespeople with the tools to grow, hire, and succeed.

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