Brick and Stonelaying Apprenticeship

The Brick and Stonelaying Apprenticeship is a four-year earn-and-learn programme where you develop hands-on skills in brickwork, blockwork, and stonework on live construction sites. You will learn to set out, construct, and finish masonry structures including walls, arches, chimneys, and decorative stonework to precise specifications. Off-the-job training is delivered in phases at an Education and Training Board (ETB) training centre, covering technical drawing, materials science, and advanced craft techniques. A typical week involves working alongside experienced tradespeople on site, reading construction drawings, mixing mortars, and laying courses to correct alignment and plumb. As you progress, you take on more complex tasks and may specialise in heritage stonework or decorative finishes.

Entry is through employer registration with SOLAS via apprenticeship.ie; you must first secure a position with a registered building contractor who agrees to take you on as an apprentice. Minimum entry requirements are typically five passes in the Leaving Certificate or Junior Cycle, though individual employers may set higher standards. Useful school subjects include Technical Graphics, Construction Studies, Physics, and Mathematics, which give you a strong foundation in spatial reasoning and materials. There is no CAO points process for this route; instead, you apply directly to employers advertising apprenticeship vacancies. Mature applicants over 23 may enter with relevant construction site experience in lieu of formal qualifications, subject to employer and SOLAS approval. QQI Level 5 Construction Studies awards from a PLC course can also strengthen your application.

Graduates of this apprenticeship enter a labour market with consistently strong demand, particularly given the Irish Government's housing targets under the Housing for All plan and successor programmes. Skilled brick and stonelayers can expect steady employment and competitive wages, with experienced tradespeople and self-employed contractors earning well above average industrial wages. Opportunities exist across all regions of Ireland, with particularly high activity in Dublin, Cork, and other rapidly growing urban areas. The combination of technical skill and physical craft means this trade is less exposed to outsourcing than many other occupations.