ATU Sligo has welcomed the fifth intake of its Transport Operations and Commercial Driving Apprenticeship (CDAP), with eight recent Leaving Certificate graduates and six female apprentices among the new cohort. The programme gives Irish haulage employers a structured route to developing drivers with the knowledge and professional competence needed for safe, compliant transport operations.

ATU Sligo, part of Atlantic Technological University in the north west of Ireland, delivers the academic side of the apprenticeship. The two-year earn-while-you-learn programme leads to a Higher Certificate in Business in Transport Services at NFQ Level 6, with apprentices spending four days a week with their employer and one day a week in online classes, and one intake each September.

Apprentices train for both rigid and articulated vehicle licences while learning the responsibilities that come with operating commercial vehicles. The programme covers transport operations and compliance, health and safety management, vehicle roadworthiness and maintenance, driver responsibilities, and industry legislation and best practice.

The structural driver is an ageing driver population and persistent recruitment difficulties in Irish road transport, which the apprenticeship addresses by bringing new entrants into the sector with a recognised professional qualification. The first CDAP apprentices graduated in November 2024.

The inclusion of school-leavers and female apprentices also shows the programme’s role in attracting a broader range of entrants. Beyond driving skills, apprentices learn how their decisions and working practices contribute to vehicle safety, operational efficiency and compliance.

Designed by employers for employers, CDAP combines practical workplace experience with academic study, helping apprentices connect their learning with the day-to-day demands of the transport industry.

Participating employers and workplace mentors support apprentices throughout their training, helping them build experience, confidence and professional standards. In welcoming the fifth cohort, the programme acknowledged the commitment of the businesses and mentors investing in the next generation of transport professionals.

For the sector, the latest intake shows employers using the apprenticeship to develop new talent in-house, with the focus now on turning that investment into safe, skilled and knowledgeable commercial drivers.

Source: HGV Ireland / CDAP