Construction plant fitting in Ireland

The trade of construction plant fitting in Ireland is essentially the training of mechanics who specialise in working on the type of machinery found on building sites. Bull-dozers, dump trucks, four-wheel drive vehicles, cement mixers and water pumps are all types of equipment worked on by construction plant fitters (cp fitters). Since 1979, and up until its closure in December 2010, the Cabra Training Centre was the only place in Ireland to offer Phase 2 apprenticeship training. Since the Cabra closure, plans are at an advanced stage to move the course to FÁS Baldoyle Training Centre. Generally speaking, eight courses per year are run-with 12 apprentices on each course. In recent years, as many as 10 courses (120 apprentices) and as few as 2 courses (24 apprentices) have been run in Cabra.

Apprenticeship Training in the trade is currently regulated by FÁS, Ireland's Industrial Training Authority. Training is now standards based, and broken into 7 phases, with the odd-numbered phases being conducted on-the-job, and the even numbered phases being conducted in a temporary industrial unit rented by FÁS in Baldoyle (Phase 2), or the Institute of Technology in Cork (Phases 4 and 6).

Phase 2 Training

Up until November 2010, the FÁS Training Centre in Cabra was the only training centre in the country to offer apprenticeship training at Phase 2 level. The Cabra Training Centre was closed down permanently on Christmas Eve, 2010, and no longer functions as a training centre. Since May 2011, Phase 2 apprenticeship training is being delivered in a satellite industrial unit close to the Baldoyle Training Centre. At present, two courses are running there concurrently. While this is happening, the main training centre in Baldoyle is being prepared to become the new permanent home of the Construction Plant Fitters' Section. During the 20 weeks allotted to Phase 2, apprentices will study 6 different modules:

Engines Plant Vehicles Small Plant Machinery

Transmissions Plant Vehicle Electricity Hydraulics

External links

• Log in as a guest to see more about the CP Fitters' Section, and the training facilities