Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland offer Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeships for students

Greg Reddin, (right) Business Unit Manager 2GT Operations at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland and Anthony Collins, (2nd from left) Apprentice Mentor along with apprentice manufacturing technicians, Aislinn Smith, Karlo Kraljic and Marc O’Rourke at the company headquarters in Castletroy. Picture: Alan Place.

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland offer Manufacturing Technician Apprenticeships for students

Greg Reddin, (left) Business Unit Manager 2GT Operations at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care and Anthony Collins, (right) Apprentice Mentor along with apprentice manufacturing technicians, Aislinn Smith, Karlo Kraljic and Marc O’Rourke at the company headquarters in Castletroy. Picture: Alan Place

Traditionally, the majority of apprenticeships in Ireland attract young men and last year just over 1% of those who undertook apprenticeships were female.  Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland is changing this perception and offering both male and female students an alternative to third level education.  In 2017, the leading manufacturer of disposable contact lenses took on seven new manufacturing technicians on a two-year apprenticeship.

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Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc is the world’s leading innovator and manufacturer of disposable contact lenses.  Anchored by its vision and mission, it has set industry standards through ground-breaking technologies and products.  Johnson & Johnson Vision Care is committed to transforming the world’s vision, bringing healthy vision to everyone, everywhere, every day.

Speaking about the manufacturing technician apprenticeship, Greg Reddin, Business Unit Manager at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, highlighted that university is not the only option for young people and said, “There is often a perception that apprenticeships are only for men. There is no difference in terms of ability and suitability when it comes to male and female apprentices.  Our aim is to future-proof the business and train and develop a diverse talent pool, support future business growth and provide exciting career opportunities for the successful candidates. Apprenticeships are making a comeback and we see an increased interest from both male and female students.”

Speaking about the benefits of the apprenticeship, Aislinn Smith, first-year§ manufacturing technician apprentice at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland in Limerick, said, “Manufacturing was always something that I wanted to pursue as I find it very interesting.  This apprenticeship opens doors as I’m getting hands-on, technical experience that I may not necessarily gain through college.  The team at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland are sharing their own knowledge and helping us to progress in our careers. It is also of great help that we are getting paid while doing the apprenticeship, something which you don’t get if you go to college.   Within two years I’ll have a level six qualification and there is also an opportunity to progress to level seven and then level eight qualifications which will put me on a strong footing for securing a job when I finish, so it’s a fantastic option.”

The manufacturing technician level 6 apprenticeship was developed by the Irish Medtech Association, which is the business association within IBEC, in partnership with industry and GMIT. 2018 recruitment activities at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Ireland will begin in the coming months with a 15-week academic block starting in January 2019 at Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT).

For more stories on Johnson & Johnson, go here.

To learn more about the apprenticeship, go here.

To learn how to apply for the apprenticeship, go here.