Ireland’s electricity system is undergoing a decade of significant changes. The Government has set a target that 80 per cent of electricity should come from renewable sources by 2030.
EirGrid, which develops, manages and operates the electricity grid in Ireland, is continuing to recruit across the organisation to grow its workforce and skill set. Employees at all levels have the opportunity to contribute to tackling climate change and deliver a cleaner energy future.
EirGrid believes that the next generation of young people will help it work towards its ambitions for 2030 and beyond, citing the importance of diverse backgrounds, education and work experience.
Applications are now open for the Earn and Learn Programme, which offers young people the opportunity to work at EirGrid without the need for a university degree. Participants will develop both technical competencies and core skills to assist in making the leap from being a successful student at school to being effective and impactful in a dynamic corporate environment.
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While programme participants get work experience in a corporate office environment, they will also have the opportunity to pursue third-level education part-time, supported by EirGrid. The programme recognises that the traditional third-level education route does not always work out for school leavers. Often after school, young people are unsure of the career path they wish to pursue, and full-time education may not be viable due to personal circumstances and financial situations.
Lorena Dalewska, Peter Boyne and Seán Killalee are the first participants on EirGrid’s Earn & Learn programme, which launched in 2023. This group has now completed the first of a two-year programme and are all undertaking a diploma with Griffith College. This September, they will begin a part-time Level 8 degree in Business Management, also at Griffith College.
Originally from Poland, Dalewska completed her Leaving Certificate in 2021. “When I finished school,” she says, “I went on to study English and Sociology at Maynooth University. By the end of my second year of college, I felt very unmotivated by the content of my degree. I knew it was not for me and I knew I was not going to finish it, so I dropped out.
“While I had just recently left college, I hadn’t entirely given up on getting some sort of third-level education, and so the programme really appealed to me.”
Peter Boyne is from Malahide. After he completed the Leaving Cert in 2019 he completed two and a half years of a Level 8 Forensic Science degree in TU Dublin, before deciding to drop out during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“During Covid,” Boyne says, “college went towards online learning and as a practical learner I didn’t work well learning over a screen.”
However, upon swapping to a business course, Boyne discovered that there were big financial implications. Having already completed some years of university already, continuing was just not feasible.
“What drew me to the Earn and Learn programme was just that – the ability to earn while I learn,” says Boyne. “It also interested me as I feel I learn better with a more hands on approach.”
Following completion of a one-year Post-Leaving Cert (plc) course in Business at Ballyfermot College of Further Education, the Earn and Learn programme was exactly what Liberties native Killalee, was looking for.
“Although, I was finishing my plc course,” says Killalee, “I still was unsure about jumping into full-time education as what I really wanted was experience and routine in a working environment.
“We work full-time Monday to Friday incorporating the hybrid working model. Pursuing higher education is supported financially and encouraged by colleagues. If you attend higher education whilst on the programme you will be attending on a part-time basis, so you still have work-life balance.”
The EirGrid Earn and Learn Programme is recruiting new applicants. For further information, visit the application portal on LinkedIn or contact recruitment@eirgrid.com. For more on careers at EirGrid, visit eirgrid.ie