‘There isn’t another job that will give you €42,000 a year with no degree or specific skills’

On a busy first morning at the Higher Options event in the RDS, the stands of the big colleges were doing brisk business and electrical apprenticeships were the most sought after among exhibitors promoting trades.With a greatly improved stand and presence, the Defence Forces attracted a steady stream of inquiries too, with students asking everything from the most entry level, “What’s it like being in the army?” to the two young musicians exploring whether this might be a way to play for pay.Capt Valerie Cole seemed positive about the number of students seeking to chat with members of the various forces. Several were female which, she said, was helping with the levels of engagement with young women. Iona Scott from Dominican College Wicklow said she was keen to work as a pilot or in air traffic control and had been pointed in the direction of the Air Corps during a transition year placement.READ MOREAsked what would attract her to the Defence Forces route rather than training to be a commercial pilot, she said paying for training privately “could cost 100 grand”. There would, she acknowledged, be a lot more to being a Defence Forces member, but said “it is definitely an option” and she wouldn’t have any reservations. A few feet away, her mother laughed a little and said: “I would!”Potential women recruits at the Defence Forces stand at Higher Options 2026 in the RDS Capt Valerie Cole of the Defence Forces talking with students at the Higher Options event at the RDS James Gleeson from the Abbey CBS Tipperary said he was keen on the navy, as he was more practical than someone cut out to sit in an office. He would see it as an opportunity to progress in the service or learn, then see what other opportunities it might open up. “I just love the sea, and the maritime college down in Cork is somewhere I’d love to go,” he said.Colm Durkan from Maynooth Community College was less sure but saw it as a potential backup if his Plan A – related to psychology “or something in the area of medicine” doesn’t come off.Marko Gujic seemed sold, though. He is attending Cathal Brugha College of Further Education and Training before, he hopes, enlisting in the army next year.He has been toying with the idea for two years since seeing a promotional video he found inspiring. “I’d like to join the Army Rangers and go on peacekeeping missions,” he said.Cole, a veteran of 22 years, said what was on offer had improved dramatically in recent years. “There isn’t another job out there that six months in will give you €42,000 a year with no degree or specific skills. And if you want to be an engineer, a medic, go to the school of music ... after the initial training you can do an apprenticeship and be earning €42,000 while you learn.”There is a long way to go before the well-publicised problem with numbers can be regarded as a thing of the past, but with twice as many recruits expected this year as three years ago, it does seem young people are starting to see the attraction again.