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Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week 2025

Queen’s is proud to participate in NI Apprenticeship Week 2025, running from 3-7 February. 

Led by the Department for the Economy, this week-long programme of events aims to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities, promote participation, and showcase the vital contributions apprentices make across diverse sectors.

Queen's has 270 technicians, making up 5.7% of the University’s staff across three Faculties and two Directorates.

Queen’s Technician Apprentices provide integral technical expertise that helps to drive world-class research and supports high-quality teaching, shaping the next generation of leaders. Their work strengthens local partnerships, global collaborations, and the development of the STEM workforce.

Gillian Riddell, Queen's Technician Commitment Manager

As we celebrate NI Apprenticeship Week 2025, it's the perfect opportunity to spotlight our valuable technical apprentices who provide vital support in key roles across the university.

"Our Technician Apprentices make an important contribution to Queen’s as a world-class university. Their developing expertise is essential to achieving our strategic priorities in education, research and innovation and impact, allowing us to further strengthen and widen our local partnerships and global collaborations and, ultimately, our positive contribution to society. Our participation in NI Apprenticeship Week reflects our ongoing commitment to maintaining a highly skilled workforce and providing opportunities that benefit individuals, communities, and industries alike".

John Brashier - Apprentice Technician

John Brashier is a Technician Apprentice in the School of Natural and Built Environment.

Listen below to hear what a typical day looks like for John and what he enjoys most about his role working as a technician in the School of Natural and Built Environment.
Technician Apprentice Staff Blogs
A young man sitting at a desk in a well-lit room with blinds covering the windows. He is wearing a black fleece jacket with a red logo and a pink shirt underneath, smiling softly at the camera. A computer keyboard and mouse are on the desk in front of him, with cables and electrical outlets visible in the background.
Luka Fuchs

Luka Fuchs is an Apprentice Technician for the Centre for Public Health. 
A man with glasses and a neutral expression standing in front of a plain white background. He is wearing a black fleece jacket with the Queen's University Belfast logo on the left side.
Sean Loughran

Sean Loughran is an Apprentice Technician in the School of Natural and Built Environment. 
A young woman smiling and standing in a laboratory setting with white cabinets and laboratory equipment in the background. Pens are visible in the pocket of her lab coat.
Heather Mitchell

Heather Mitchell is an Apprentice Lab Technician in the School of Biological Sciences. 
Apprentice Technician sitting at a desk with a black chair and a window behind them, wearing glasses.
Robert Laing

Robert Laing is an IT Apprentice Technician in the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. 
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