Ireland’s Transport Operations and Commercial Driving Apprenticeship offers young people and career changers a structured route into professional HGV driving while earning a wage and gaining a recognised qualification.
The two-year programme combines employment with academic study, practical experience and professional driver training. Successful apprentices can progress from a category B car licence to category C and CE HGV licences, complete the Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) and earn a Level 6 Higher Certificate in Business in Transport Services.
The apprenticeship was developed in response to Ireland’s long-running shortage of qualified commercial drivers and the ageing profile of the existing workforce. It is coordinated by Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Sligo, with the Freight Transport Association Ireland acting as the lead industry partner.
How does the HGV apprenticeship work?
Apprentices must first secure a position with an approved employer. They are employed and paid throughout the programme, with the salary determined by the employer.
During the academic year, apprentices generally spend four days each week working with their employer and one day attending online classes. The academic programme runs from September to May, with one intake normally taking place each September.
Before obtaining their HGV qualifications, apprentices can gain experience in areas such as:
- Transport operations and planning
- Warehousing and distribution
- Loading and unloading vehicles
- Route planning
- Driver assistance
- Freight forwarding
- Import and export operations
- Customer service
This broader training is important because the role of an HGV driver now involves much more than operating a vehicle. Drivers must understand road transport legislation, working-time requirements, vehicle safety, customer service, sustainability and the increasingly sophisticated technology used throughout the logistics sector.
What qualifications will apprentices receive?
Successful participants receive a Higher Certificate in Business in Transport Services at Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications.
They also undertake the training and testing required to obtain category C and CE driving entitlement and the Driver CPC qualification needed to work professionally.
HGV driving instruction takes place during the first year through approved driver-training providers. According to the programme, apprentices receive individual training for both rigid and articulated trucks, with the cost of this on-road training supported through public funding.
Course subjects include professional driving, HGV technology and CVRT, supply-chain management, warehousing, finance, road-freight operations, route planning, customs, international trade, transport law, workplace safety and sustainable transport technologies.
Every apprentice is also assigned an experienced workplace mentor who supports their progress and helps them complete the programme’s academic and work-based requirements.
Who can apply?
Applicants must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Hold a full category B driving licence
- Meet the medical requirements for HGV driving
- Be employed by an approved participating employer
- Meet the programme’s educational entry requirements
School-leaver applicants generally need five Leaving Certificate subjects at grade H7/O6 or better, including at least O6 in English and O6—or B2 at Foundation Level—in Mathematics.
Applicants holding a relevant QQI Level 5 or Level 6 qualification may also be considered. A separate entry route is available for mature candidates aged over 23 who have relevant commercial-driving experience, an employer recommendation and the necessary literacy, attitude and workplace skills.
Existing category C or CE licence holders can apply and may qualify for an exemption from the driving-test module.
Apprentices currently pay an annual €800 student registration fee to ATU, while the cost of approved on-road HGV driver training is funded separately.
What must employers provide?
Participating companies must offer the apprentice a minimum two-year employment contract, an appropriate workplace role and a suitable environment in which to train.
The employer must release the apprentice for one day of academic study each week, facilitate driving lessons and appoint a workplace mentor. Companies must also be approved to train apprentices through the SOLAS authorisation process.
For operators struggling to recruit drivers, the programme provides an opportunity to develop employees specifically for their business. Apprentices learn company procedures, customers, routes and safety standards while progressing towards full professional qualifications.
A career route—not simply a driving test
The apprenticeship represents an important change in how commercial driving is viewed in Ireland. Instead of asking new entrants to finance their licences independently and then search for work without experience, it combines education, employment and supervised workplace development.
Graduates also emerge with an academic qualification that can support future progression into transport planning, fleet management, compliance, driver training, logistics management or supervisory positions.
However, the success of the programme depends on more transport operators becoming approved employers and providing apprenticeship places. Ireland will not solve its driver shortage through training alone: new entrants must also see competitive pay, predictable working conditions and genuine career-development opportunities.
Prospective apprentices can find further information and current vacancies through the official Transport Operations and Commercial Driving Apprenticeship website or the Generation Apprenticeship programme page. Employers can register their interest by contacting the programme at info@cdap.ie or 01 844 7516.
