Your employer must support your application.

Minimum requirements for a Supply Chain Specialist apprenticeship would typically be a NFQ Level 7 (Diploma or Ordinary Degree) in a relevant area and related disciplines.

Applicants who have completed a NFQ Level 7 apprenticeship, in a cognate field, are also eligible to apply.

The consortium will also facilitate recognition of prior learning (RPL) and will recognise candidates who have a lower qualification than Level 7, provided the applicant has considerable industrial experience and evidence of the ability to study at Honours Degree level.

Also, modules taken under the auspices of Engineers Ireland, APICS SCC, and other providers of CPD programming could be accumulated to meet entry criteria.

Applicants also need to meet the University of Limerick English language requirements.

The learning material is delivered by a combination of academic subject matter experts from the University of Limerick and industry professionals.

Delivery is a combination of workshop, lectures and online learning.  
The apprenticeship programme is year 3 and 4 of a BSc in Supply Chain Management leading to an honours degree award upon completion.

There is an emphasis on directed assignment work in each module to allow participants to spend more time applying the concepts in the context of their own organisation.  

The strong application focus is supported by a capstone work based project at the end of each year. The programme is structured for blended delivery which minimizes the time that participants are off the job.  While apprentices’ will engage in significant study time the maximum ratio of on‐the‐job to off‐the‐job is 75/25.

University of Limerick Year 3-

PLAN WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS
MAKE WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS 
ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR 1
IRISH ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 

SOURCE WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS
DELIVER AND RETURN WITHIN SUPPLY CHAINS
STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
SUPPLY CHAIN RISK ASSESSMENT AND FORECASTING

SUPPLY CHAIN PROJECT 2

University of Limerick Year 4- 

ADVANCED MODELS AND FRAMEWORKS FOR SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT AND CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT 
INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND DECISION SUPPORT
SIMULATION MODELLING AND ANALYSIS

SIGMA IMPROVEMENT METHODOLOGIES
ISSUES IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMICS ENVIRONMENT
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

SUPPLY CHAIN PROJECT 3

On the Job delivery: The strong application focus in the assessment of the taught elements and the on the job project work ensure a high on the job learning ratio. This is supported by the industry mentor.

Off the Job delivery:  The learning material is delivered by a combination of academic subject matter experts and industry professionals. 

Interaction with the learning material is through on‐campus seminars and lectures and digital teaching methods, webinars and collaboration software.   Apprentices should expect to be on campus 1 day every 3 weeks during the Autumn and Spring semesters, ie 6 days a semester. There is also a summer school during the summer of the first year, this is 5 days in duration.

In total the off the job delivery is 20 days per year. Additional time should be agreed with your employer for study and participation on online learning activities to a maximum of 25% of the participants working time

• Working in the area of forecasting and planning, purchasing, procurement, logistics, operations, inventory management, customer service, transport, distribution or warehousing. 
• Interested in applying best practice in the management and development of SCM practices in your enterprise.
• Active in team resolution of day to day recurring problems.
• Have a level 7 qualification or industrial experience in the field

• Knowledge and understanding of specialised areas pertaining to different supply chain functions.
• Technical, analytical and creative skills that are fundamental to problem‐solving and decision‐making.
• Appreciate and respond to the critical issues of globalisation, the internationalisation of business and corporate responsibility as they relate to supply chain operations.
• Describe and discuss various concepts of operations management related to supply chain management and grounded in the SCOR model.
• Evaluate performance of supply chain activities and identify opportunities for improvement and integration
• Respond to rapid changes in demand and capacity by adjusting and optimising supply chain activities
• Use operations management models and best‐practice techniques to address new or emerging situations and changes

• Inventory Control
• Customer Service/Fulfillment
  
• Freight
• Warehousing
• Production Planning
• Purchasing
• Sourcing
• Supplier Management
• Supplier Engineering
• Demand Planning
• Logistics

Note: People in employment have a number of options for both Educational and Career Progression. It might also be possible to gain promotion within your existing company.  By using your existing qualifications and your experience you might to able to secure an alternative position in a more senior role in another company. It may also be possible to set up your own company based again on your existing qualifications and experience.  Whatever route you decide to take remember education is a lifelong pursuit and you can always continue to up skill and/or retrain, whatever your age.  Links to some enterprise supports can be found below

Enterprise and Self-Employment Support:

On completion of anapprenticeship if you feel you have the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience you may decide to set up your own business. The links below might be useful to support you:

• Local Enterprise Offices, For profit Local enterprise support
• Local Area partnerships For profit enterprise support
• Social entrepreneurs: Not-for-profit enterprise support
• Franchising: Developing your business under an established franchise

To become an apprentice in Ireland you must be hired by an employer. Apprenticeship employers are formally approved by SOLAS in advance of employing apprentices. Apprentices get a formal contract of employment as part of their apprenticeship.

To find an apprenticeship, you can search apprenticeship vacancies and a list of currently approved apprentice employers on the Apprenticeship Jobs & Employers Portal. You can search for vacancies by location, and employers in each apprenticeship.

Use this link to explore a list of Approved Employers by Region and by Apprenticeship type.

This apprenticeship is managed by the University of Limerick. If you are interested in a Supply Chain Specialist apprenticeship you should make contact with the University of Limerick via the contact details in the ‘Find Out More Section’ below.

Full eligibility criteria for this apprenticeship are available in the Supply Chain Specialist apprenticeship brochure.

Finding an Employer

Finding an employer or registering your interest with an official Coordinating Provider is one of the first things you need to do to start an apprenticeship.

To find an apprenticeship and secure an apprenticeship work contract you can search apprenticeship vacancies on the Apprenticeship Jobs Portal . You can search for vacancies by location and by apprenticeship type.

Your local Education and Training Board may also hold details of employers seeking to employ an apprentice.

You should also directly connect with local employers who might be interested in taking on an apprentice. It is a great idea to get a part time job with a local employer who might be more inclined to take you on as an apprentice following a successful work experience placement or a part time job contract.

Further information about this apprenticeship may be available from the following organisations on this website:

Online Job Sites

Here are some direct links to employment websites that frequently list apprenticeship vacancies.

Note: These websites may include vacancies that are not QQI accredited Apprenticeships.

For this apprenticeship, it is up to the employer and the employee to agree the rate of pay applicable for the duration of the apprenticeship, the revised working hours necessary to allow for off‐the‐job elements, and the arrangement for the payment of the student contribution.