Recruitment Practitioner Apprenticeship

This apprenticeship trains you to work as a recruitment practitioner, sourcing and placing candidates with client organisations across a wide range of sectors. You will learn how to write job briefs, search for talent using professional networks and databases, screen CVs, conduct competency-based interviews, and manage the end-to-end hiring process. Specialist areas include executive search, volume recruitment, and sector-specific staffing such as technology, finance, or healthcare. A typical week combines on-the-job training within your employer recruitment agency with off-the-job learning delivered through a further education provider. You will build strong skills in client relationship management, candidate care, and employment law as it applies to the Irish labour market.

Entry to this apprenticeship is through an employer who registers you with SOLAS under the Generation Apprenticeship programme, so securing a role with a recruitment agency is the first step. Most employers expect a Leaving Certificate, with a good result in English being particularly important given the communication demands of the role. No specific Higher-level subjects are strictly required, though subjects like Business, Economics, or Accounting are helpful background. There is no CAO points route as such; selection is entirely employer-led, and some agencies actively recruit school leavers, career changers, or those with prior customer-service or sales experience. Mature applicants and those with relevant QQI Level 5 Business or Customer Service awards may also be considered. The earn-and-learn model means you receive a salary throughout the apprenticeship while working towards your NFQ Level 6 Advanced Certificate.

Demand for skilled recruitment professionals in Ireland remains consistently strong, driven by a dynamic labour market and the presence of many multinational employers requiring talent acquisition support. Dublin in particular has a high concentration of staffing agencies and in-house recruitment functions, offering plentiful entry-level and experienced roles. Salaries for Recruitment Consultants typically range from roughly €28,000 to €40,000 basic, with on-target earnings significantly higher once commission is included. The profession rewards performance, meaning motivated graduates can progress quickly in earnings and seniority.