VW Group Ireland ready for Worldskills at RDS

Sparks will fly at Dublin’s RDS next week as employers put on a show in an attempt 
to win over school leavers. 
More than 28,000 students are expected to descend upon RDS Simmonscourt in 
Ballsbridge for Worldskills Ireland 2023 which gets under way on Wednesday. 
The three-day event lets school leavers experience first-hand the wealth of career 
options available, from apprentice engineers and stonemasons to chefs and car 
technicians. 
Visitors can be inspired at the Heroes stage, get hands-on at the Try-a-skill zone or 
take the first step to landing the job of their dreams at the Careers zone. More than 
160 finalists will compete across 30 live National finals to be in with as shout of 
representing Ireland in the Worldskills Internationals, in Lyon, France next year.  
As the main Automobile Technology Competition sponsor, Volkswagen Group 
Ireland has leant its considerable weight to the event. Head of Group Technical 
Service at Volkswagen Group Ireland, Vicky Halton, says Worldskills is key to 
recruiting the next generation of talent needed to power the switch to electric power. 
“The leap to electric vehicles is a unique opportunity for technicians coming into the 
business. It’s an exciting sector that is growing exponentially so apprentices who join 
now and gain the necessary skills will always be in demand. When you come to work 
as an apprentice for Volkswagen, you are not just becoming someone who tinkers 
with cars, you are effectively becoming a software engineer.” 
Volkswagen Group Ireland’s network of 83 retailers runs apprenticeships while the 
Group supports TU Dublin and TUS’s (Technological University of the Shannon) 
Access to Apprenticeships initiative which was setup in 2018 and helps young people 
from disadvantaged backgrounds into apprenticeships. 
Apprentices who come through Volkswagen’s dealer network, receive training at 
Volkswagen Group’s National Learning Centre (NLC) located in west Dublin, where 
they get access to state-of-the-art facilities and the latest Volkswagen Group vehicles. 
With six brands, including Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Volkswagen Commercial 
Vehicles, Audi, SKODA, SEAT and CUPRA, Volkswagen Group Ireland has a range of 
careers, from workshop-based technicians to high-voltage, electric vehicle specialists. 
“We have the broadest portfolio in the business. An apprenticeship through our 
dealer network is an internationally recognised qualification that opens doors 
wherever you want to work,” adds Halton. 
Founded in 1950, Worldskills is a global organisation that promotes vocational, 
technological, and service oriented education and training. More than 90 exhibitors 
will attend Worldskills Ireland 2023, including Bus Eireann, ESB Networks, Fáilte 
Ireland and Amazon Web Services. 
Ray English, Chairman of Worldskills Ireland, insists skills and apprenticeship 
programmes are the “life blood” of many Irish businesses. “It is vitally important to 
secure the evolution of Ireland’s economy and its place as a global leader, nurturing 
talent and encouraging the next generation to consider a skills-based career,” he said. 
Worldskills Ireland 2023 takes place at the RDS Simmonscourt on September 20 – 
22. For more information visit, www.worldskillsireland.ie