Vodafone Ireland and ATU receive €4.6 million EU funding to develop digital technologies for online apprenticeships

Vodafone Ireland and Atlantic Technological University (ATU) have successfully secured €4.6 million in funding from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital Fund to develop digital technologies for new online and on campus apprenticeship courses for engineering and construction students.

In addition to the CEF funding, both ATU and Vodafone Ireland are investing in the initiative, bringing the total investment in Irish education to €6.25 million.

5G Standalone

The fund will be used to develop cutting-edge Extended Reality (XR) labs powered by a private 5G standalone network and on-campus edge computing delivered by Vodafone Ireland.

Italian technology company FifthIngenium, part of the consortium, will leverage its expertise in designing cutting-edge educational applications to support the development of the XR experience.

The initiative will be piloted at ATU Donegal, where students will gain access to immersive virtual and augmented reality environments that replicate physical labs and workshops.

Immersive learning

This funding will allow students to learn in new and flexible ways, combining classroom teaching with remote and virtual training – making education more accessible, especially for people living in rural areas or those balancing work, study and apprenticeship programmes.

Specifically, the new training tools will include:

The initiative is part of a wider €12.3 million European programme called 5G-SHARE, which encourages universities to work together and share knowledge across borders. ATU and Vodafone will collaborate with universities in Romania and the Czech Republic to test new ways of teaching using 5G.

Ongoing network investment

Sheila Kavanagh, Network Director of Vodafone Ireland, said: “This fund was secured through collaboration between ATU, Vodafone, and Government. The initiative will help us train people more efficiently by leveraging strong digital infrastructure, remote learning, and 5G connectivity.

“Our ongoing €100 million annual investment in our network supports innovation, infrastructure, housing solutions, and economic growth.”

The fund was secured with the support of Vodafone’s Connected Education programme - a major global Vodafone initiative designed to transform learning experiences through advanced technology and connectivity, creating a more inclusive digital society.

In November, the Irish Government released an updated action plan that promises to encourage careers in construction. The plan includes expanding apprenticeships and outlines a five-year strategy to increase recruitment, enhance training programs, and strengthen the overall capacity of the construction industry.

Pictured at the launch at Vodafone’s headquarters in Dublin today was Minister James Lawless with Sheila Kavanagh, Network Director, Vodafone Ireland, and Karol Dempsey, Project Lead ATU.