TRAINING
THIRD YEAR ELECTRICIAN APPRENTICE, PAUL LYNAM CHATS TO IRELAND’S ELECTRICAL MAGAZINE ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE OF JOINING KIRBY AND HIS ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE…
Sky is the limit with Kirby apprenticeship scheme
P aul Lynam knows exactly the direction his career is going, thanks to the support and guidance he has received from Kirby Engineering under its Electrical Apprenticeship Scheme. As one of the largest apprentice employers in Ireland, Kirby is dedicated to investing in and developing the next generation of engineering talent. And its apprenticeship programme aims to develop the best and brightest world- class craft professionals. Paul didn’t go straight into his apprenticeship from school. He decided to take a year out and worked as a labourer in Chicago, America. While working for a housing contractor, Paul found his niche, “I knew I wanted to work with my hands and found the electrical side the most interesting part of the project,” he explained. “I got close to the electrician on the project, and he told me to get home and get my tickets.” With family members working in the construction sector, Paul said he was told he should try and get an apprenticeship with Kirby. “My dad is a fitter, and he was keen that I apply for an apprenticeship with Kirby. The training the company offers is well known in the industry and it’s seen as a badge of honour if you get on the scheme.” Paul has already worked on two of Kirby’s flagship projects: “In the first phase of my apprenticeship with Kirby, I was based on Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in Dublin and on my latest project, I worked on Boston Scientific in Galway. I enjoy the fact I can move with the projects and hope I will get the opportunity to work abroad with Kirby,” said the 22-year-old. Originally from Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Paul is currently on off-the-job training at the Waterford Institute of Technology. The apprentice hopes to take up the
“An apprenticeship with Kirby is your passport to the world,” said Paul Lynam.
fast-track electrical engineering degree that Kirby offers through Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT). Successful apprentices are sponsored by Kirby through the course and can get their degree in two years, after completing their four-year apprenticeship. “Kirby has a history of recruiting from within,” added Paul. “My foreman is a former Kirby apprentice, as is our Group Managing Director, Mark Flanagan. It shows that if you put in the hard yards, the sky is the limit in terms of career opportunities.”
Looking to the future, Paul continued: “In 10 years I hope to be a qualified electrical engineer, building my career with Kirby. An apprenticeship with Kirby really is your passport to a world of opportunity, travel and success. I would recommend it to anyone.”
To find out more about Kirby’s apprenticeship programme, go to: https://careers.kirbygroup.com
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IRELAND’S ELECTRICAL MAGAZINE | 63
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