Young Donegal woman earns her stripes in sales apprenticeship

A young Donegal woman is proving that higher education isn’t always gained from universities.

Eimear Robb from Newtowncunningham, 22, is accelerating her education as a sales apprentice at Kelly’s Toyota in Letterkenny, where she has worked for three years.

Over the past year, she has embarked on a two year apprenticeship to become a fully qualified sales specialist with a QQI Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Sales. As an apprentice, Eimear is supported by Donegal Education and Training Board’s Apprenticeship Team (Further Education and Training Service) who work with apprentices and employers in Donegal.

Eimear’s passion for cars was sparked early, inspired by her father Dominic, who runs his own dealership.

“There were no boys in our family and Dad had us car mad. I grew up listening to it 24/7,” she admits.

Eimear also worked in retail from the age of 16, so when school was done, she was keen to keep earning.

Like many young people, Eimear didn’t exactly know what she wanted to do after finishing her Leaving Cert.

“I wasn’t that overly fond of the books, I liked the social side of school but studying wasn’t for me. I had applied to do Business in college but I was only really doing it for the sake of putting something down,” she said.

“I decided to work for a while and see what I’ll do then. At the time, I wasn’t aware of apprenticeships in sales or the motor industry but the interest was always there.”

The pandemic gave Eimear a new perspective on her future. When her work hours were reduced in her former job, she accepted an offer from Brendan Kelly to join the team at Kelly’s Toyota.

Although she started from scratch, Eimear quickly learned from colleagues with decades of experience.

“I am very happy with what I am doing now and I could see myself doing sales for a long time. The main reason I am doing the apprenticeship is to get a qualification to show for it,” she says.

Eimear’s training is primarily on-the-job, with two days of class every 6-8 weeks in Carrick-on-Shannon. Her modules cover finance, legal, and marketing topics, with additional online lectures of two hours per week. The flexible delivery of the lectures is ideal for her busy showroom schedule.

“Each online class is recorded and our notes are sent into a group. If it wasn’t flexible like that I probably wouldn’t be doing it,” she admits.

Apprenticeships are all about gaining experience and reflecting on workplace tasks, which are assigned with each module.

The benefits of a Sales Apprenticeship include earning while learning and the satisfaction of taking care of clients. “Every day is different here. You are dealing with different people all the time, and the market is constantly changing, keeping you on your toes. You are always upskilling and learning new things. It’s great to see customers coming back to you,” she adds.

Eimear also recognises the uniqueness of her role in a male-dominated industry. “I do find that a lot of women prefer dealing with a saleswoman,” she notes.

Her classmates come from various industries, including mobile phone companies, hardware, and electrical stores, making their classes interesting as they share experiences. “The classes are interactive and very chilled,” Eimear says.

When asked if she would recommend apprenticeships, she says: “College isn’t for everyone and certain people told me it’s good to get out there working and making a wage. I say it’s always good to have some kind of qualification. An apprenticeship is a great way to achieve that because you are still working, learning, and earning a wage while studying on the side and gaining something valuable from it.”

From a young age, Eimear dreamt of working in a garage. Now, she feels fortunate that she signed up for the apprenticeship that is helping her earn a Level 6 qualification in the field. “I can’t see myself moving from where I am,” she concludes.

Eimear’s stand-out skills have earned her the Sales Person of the Year award in the Highland Radio Customer Service Awards 2024 and she has also been nominated for the Apprentice of the Year Awards 2024, along with a number of other Donegal apprentices.

Her mentor, Brendan Kelly, said: “Eimear started with Kelly’s Toyota back in Oct 2021 on a part-time basis and from the outset we could see that she would excel in the role of a sales executive.

“Her pleasant demeanour, positive attitude and calm manner is welcome for someone so young.

“We were delighted that Eimear took the top spot for salesperson in the Highland Radio Customer Service awards earlier in the year. With the time and effort she is dedicating to the Sales Apprenticeship programme that she is now pursuing, I believe Eimear will excel in the career going forward.”

Donegal ETB’s Further Education and Training (FET) Service facilitates employer-driven apprenticeships in a variety of sectors, including construction, electrical, agriculture and horticulture, engineering, ICT, finance, retail, hospitality and food, motor, insurance, property services, health and social and sales. Apprenticeships vary in duration from 2-4 years with qualifications available from levels 5-10 on the National Framework of Qualifications.

The first step for anyone wishing to do an apprenticeship is to find an approved employer willing to employ him/her as an apprentice. The employer then registers their apprentice with SOLAS by contacting Donegal ETB.

The full list of available apprenticeships in Ireland is onhttps://apprenticeship.ie/more/apprenticeship-directory. If you see an opportunity to suit you, contact the Apprenticeship Team who will be happy to answer all questions and explain in more detail the options available in relation to apprenticeships. Further information is also available on Donegal ETB’s website here:www.donegaletb.ie/apprenticeships.

If you are interested in pursuing an apprenticeship or are an employer wishing to find out more, simply contact Donegal ETB’s Apprenticeship Services Team on 074 9120500 or email apprenticeship@donegaletb.ie.

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