Apprenticeship ยท Level 9 ยท Healthcare

Social Work

This programme is for people already working or qualified in the area, not usually school leavers.

A two-year postgraduate apprenticeship that makes you a qualified social worker. It suits team players who want to support people through crises and long-term difficulties.

How apprenticeships work: you are hired by an approved employer and paid while you learn, mixing work with blocks of training in a college or training centre. You don't apply through the CAO and you don't need CAO points.

Key facts

How long
2 years
Award
NFQ Level 9 Masters in Social Work or Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work Studies
Where you train
  • University College Cork (UCC)
Pay
Employer pays a salary; rate agreed with your employer.
Costs
Student contribution payable to the higher education institution over two years.

Entry requirements

  • Full criteria are in the Social Work Apprenticeship Handbook

How to apply

You must be hired by an approved employer. Contact UCC using the details on the page or search the Apprenticeship Jobs page.

UCC Social Work apprenticeship โ†— Official page on apprenticeship.ie โ†—

What you'll learn

  • Social work theory and practice skills
  • Human development and child and family welfare
  • Safeguarding adults at risk
  • Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence
  • Law, social policy and research

Where it can lead

  • Qualified social worker

Useful Leaving Cert subjects

Politics and Society, History

These help with the content of the programme; they are not entry requirements unless listed above.

Other Healthcare apprenticeships

Tertiary degrees in Welfare

Not sure which route suits you?

Our CAO Interest Test matches you to course areas, and now shows apprenticeships and tertiary degrees in your strongest areas too.

Take the CAO Interest Test โ†’ Try the free 3-minute test

Information from apprenticeship.ie, checked November 2026. Details can change, so always confirm on the official page before applying.