Paddy Kenna
Construction Manager, Jones Engineering
Lauren O’Rourke
Electrical Estimator, Jones Engineering
As demand for engineering skills grows, apprenticeships have become one of the most effective routes into a long-term career, as two Jones Engineering employees, Lauren O’Rourke and Paddy Kenna, can attest.
At Jones Engineering, apprentices are immersed in live projects immediately, learning alongside experienced engineers while benefiting from structured mentoring and continuous professional development. The combination of classroom learning and on-site experience equips apprentices with the confidence to take on increasingly complex responsibilities throughout their careers. The four-year mechanical and electrical engineering programmes currently have 264 apprentices, while Jones’ Apprentice Centre in Carlow is being expanded to accommodate further growth.
Learning by working alongside experts
Paddy Kenna joined Jones Engineering as an apprentice 25 years ago. He has since progressed through the organisation, from apprentice to supervisor and now construction manager. “Starting the apprenticeship gave me a strong direction,” he says. “You weren’t just working on a site with no end in sight. You had a clear path with a goal at the end.”
He points to the structured mentoring and continuous training available at Jones, including night classes in Building Services Engineering and participation in National Skills Competitions, as key to that progression. “Consistent opportunities are available to allow you to continue on your path, or change direction if preferred.”
You earn while you learn, and with that experience behind you,
you can genuinely go anywhere
What makes Jones different
Lauren O’Rourke began her apprenticeship during the Covid pandemic and qualified with a distinction in January. Since then, her career has moved quickly, from site work into an electrical estimator role, with Jones supporting her ambition of becoming a quantity surveyor through further training.
“At Jones, apprentices aren’t just brought in to fill a role, they’re genuinely invested in,” she says. “Jones contributes so much towards college courses and gives you study days, too. They also offer excellent work-life balance,” she adds, pointing to the support she received around the birth of her daughter during her apprenticeship as an example.
Since qualifying, Lauren has been offered further opportunities to develop within the business, including exposure to international projects. Her advice to school leavers considering an apprenticeship reflects that trajectory: “If you are a practical learner, I think it’s the best way to go. You earn while you learn, and with that experience behind you, you can genuinely go anywhere.”
For young people considering their options after leaving school, Jones Engineering’s apprenticeship pathways offer a structured route into a global industry, with clear progression from tradesperson to management.
