{"id":100943,"date":"2026-02-24T13:31:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T16:31:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech.einnews.com\/article\/895116653"},"modified":"2026-02-24T13:31:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T16:31:51","slug":"athlone-apprentice-urges-women-to-take-leap-into-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/02\/24\/athlone-apprentice-urges-women-to-take-leap-into-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"Athlone apprentice urges women to take &#8216;leap into tech&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"ew-image figure figure--image\" data-uuid data-width data-height>\n<div class=\"opener\">\n<div class=\"opener-image\"> <img data-opt-id=758893364  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==\" fifu-lazy=\"1\" fifu-data-sizes=\"auto\" 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class=\"figure-caption\"> <span class=\"caption-prefix-placeholder\"><\/span> Athlone native Jessica Hoey <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p> <!-- element: headline --> <\/p>\n<div class=\"d-xl-none article__metabox--top\">\n<div class=\"authorbox__wrapper authorbox__wrapper--top\">\n<div class=\"authorbox__datetime authorbox__datetime--top\">\n<div class=\"authorbox__datetime--description\"> <span class=\"authorbox__datetime--published\">Published:<\/span> <time class=\"authorbox__datetime--value\" datetime=\"2026-02-24T14:01:23+00:00\">Tue 24 Feb 2026, 2:01 PM<\/time> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">As International Women\u2019s Day approaches, highlighting the importance of females pursuing careers in every sector, an Athlone native is sharing her story of resilience, and why she believes sometimes the biggest barrier is self-doubt.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">Jessica Hoey, a software development apprentice with Fastrack into Information Technology (FIT) and Zinkworks, did what many students do after her Leaving Certificate, she went straight to university to study Computer Science.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">\u201cI went the traditional route. I finished my Leaving Certificate and went on to university to study computer science. But when Covid hit, I dropped out and started to work full-time,&#8221; Jessica said.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">Unsure if she would ever find her way back into tech but determined not to give up on her passion for the sector, Jessica completed a PLC course to rebuild her confidence and skills. It was there where she first heard about tech apprenticeships.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-flex justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"we-google-ad d-md-flex\"> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">FIT is the national coordinator of Tech Apprenticeships in Ireland, with programmes in software development, cybersecurity, computer networking, and a new data analytics launching in 2026 (subject to QQI validation).<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">\u201cI argued with myself about applying and wasn\u2019t sure if I should do it, but I decided to just go for it and I was lucky enough to get a place,&#8221; she added.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">That decision, she says, changed everything.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">For Jessica, the appeal of FIT\u2019s tech apprenticeship programme wasn\u2019t just gaining another qualification, it was gaining experience.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">\u201cI already had some technical knowledge, but getting your foot in the door of a company is extremely hard. With the tech apprenticeship programme, I have two years of industry experience and that\u2019s invaluable,&#8221; Jessica stated.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-flex justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"we-google-ad d-md-flex\"> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">She believes the combination of work and study offers something unique.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">\u201cI\u2019m learning things I would never learn in a classroom. I get to see how the industry works from the inside and I work alongside people who have years of experience. The advice and knowledge they share will stay with me throughout my career, she continued.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">Tech apprentices earn a salary while they learn, gaining a nationally recognised qualification and valuable on-the-job experience with a company over two years.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">As International Women\u2019s Day shines a light on increasing female representation in technology, Jessica hopes her story resonates with other young women in Westmeath who may doubt whether they belong in the industry.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">\u201cIf I hadn\u2019t applied, I\u2019d still be wondering \u2018what if?&#8217; Now, I\u2019m building a career I\u2019m genuinely excited about,&#8221; Jessica said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-flex justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"we-google-ad d-md-flex\"> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">Since completing her tech apprenticeship, Jessica is now a full-time junior software engineer with Zinkworks, a global leader in software innovation, located in the Shannon Retail Park Athlone.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">Applications are currently open for FIT\u2019s upcoming software development programmes taking place in Dublin this April, with further intakes scheduled for Dublin and Galway in October.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">For those considering a future in technology, Jessica\u2019s advice remains simple, &#8220;take the chance&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p> <!-- element: body --> <\/p>\n<p class=\"ew-body\">To learn more or apply, visit FIT\u2019s website at www.fit.ie or email them on info@fit.ie today.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article__metabox--bottom\">\n<div class=\"authorbox__wrapper authorbox__wrapper--bottom--desktop\">\n<div class=\"authorbox__datetime authorbox__datetime--bottom--desktop\">\n<div class=\"authorbox__datetime--description\"> <span class=\"authorbox__datetime--published\">Published:<\/span> <time class=\"authorbox__datetime--value\" datetime=\"2026-02-24T14:01:23+00:00\">Tue 24 Feb 2026, 2:01 PM<\/time> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\"> <\/a><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/blockads.fivefilters.org\/acceptable.html\"> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8230; the national coordinator of <span class=\"match\">Tech<\/span> Apprenticeships in Ireland, with &#8230; career, she continued. <span class=\"match\">Tech<\/span> apprentices earn a salary &#8230; increasing female representation in <span class=\"match\">technology<\/span>, Jessica hopes her story &#8230; said. Since completing her <span class=\"match\">tech<\/span> apprenticeship, Jessica is now &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100943\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}