Company plans to onboard 120 qualified electricians in first quarter of 2026
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Pictured: Dearbhla McGrath; Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science James Lawless; and Ryan Bourke
ESB Networks is investing €6.5 million in its Networks Training Centre (NTC) in Portlaoise, accelerating the development of key technical skills necessary for upgrade works on the electricity network.
In its Networks for Net Zero strategy, ESB Networks has committed to delivering a Net Zero ready electricity network by 2040. A €13.4 billion capital investment programme is planned over the next five years to decarbonise electricity, deliver reliable and resilient infrastructure and empower customers to take more control over their energy use.
Managing director of ESB Networks Nicholas Tarrant said: “For generations, the ESB Networks national training centre has played a vital role in delivering technical, safety and electrical craft training to ESB Networks’ employees and our contractor partners. Through this investment in Portlaoise we will expand our training delivery capability, which in turn will support the continued growth in resources to enable investment delivery in the electricity network over the coming years.”
ESB Networks is currently onboarding 156 new electrical apprentices and plans are underway for the onboarding of 120 qualified electricians in the first quarter of 2026. This brings its total hiring of apprentices and qualified electricians since 2022 to over 700. ESB Networks is also driving to improve gender diversity in its craft employee group which has resulted in an average of 26% women in apprenticeship programmes each year.
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