A consortia of sales industry leaders in collaboration with Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB) are encouraging employers from all industry sectors to employ a sales apprentice as part of a new sales apprenticeship commencing this September.
In the 2020 Programme for Government ‘Our Shared Future’, the Government has committed to embedding apprenticeships into Irish enterprise to support the recovery phase and to provide new career paths for people with different interests and abilities.
The two-year QQI validated sales apprenticeship is strongly grounded in practical “On-the-Job” experiential learning supported by “Off-the-Job” learning in face-to-face workshops and online. Apprentices spend 84% of their time gaining direct sales experience with their employer with the remaining time spent studying modules like psychology of sales, negotiation and decision making, and digital skills for sales.
Sean Burke, Area Training Manager at Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim ETB commented: “Our new sales apprenticeship was created by the sales industry for the sales industry. Employers identified that the lack of a talent pipeline has resulted in an increasingly difficult employee recruitment and retention environment for the sector. At MSLETB, we are delighted to be part of the continued expansion of apprenticeships into new occupational areas offering a valuable alternative to academic-only learning pathways.”
Each apprentice will be allocated a workplace mentor during their apprenticeship to coach and guide the apprentice for the duration of the programme. Customised training for the mentor and continuous support will be provided by MSLETB throughout the programme. All assessments designed for the apprentice will be relevant to the employer and their industry sector.
Speaking about his reasons for employing a sales apprentice from September, Gene Browne, CEO of The City Bin Co. said: “The sales apprenticeship is a fantastic course. We are delighted to be part of the inaugural course and are excited about the opportunity to work and learn alongside other industry partners. At The City Bin Co, the development of our employees is at the very core of our who we are. We are committed to facilitating and supporting our people to reach their life-long education goals and career potential. In this way, the sales apprenticeship course ticks all the boxes for The City Bin Co.”
An online briefing for employers interested in employing a sales apprentice is scheduled for Thursday, 30th July at 10.30am. Further information is available by contacting apprenticeship@msletb.ie for more information or visiting www.msletbtrainingcentres.ie/sales-apprenticeships/.
