The Fast Track to a Career: Why the ATC (part of Arvato) Logistics Associate Apprenticeship is Ireland’s Best Kept Secret

How to Get an Irish Degree While Earning a Competitive Market Salary

Most people spend four years and thousands of euros sitting in a lecture hall before they ever see the inside of a real boardroom. While those who are brave enough to change their classroom for a career, they are getting paid and getting educated. By starting a Logistics Associate Apprenticeship (LAA), you enter a stable industry that offers clear progression in both position and salary. While your peers are taking notes on the theory, you’re earning a professional wage and gaining two years of invaluable hands-on experience that most graduates won’t see until their mid-twenties.

What is a Logistics Associate Apprenticeship?

The Logistics Associate Apprenticeship (LAA) is a two-year “earn as you learn” programme designed to build the next generation of supply chain leaders. It isn’t just about the transportation of goods from A to B; it’s about the high-tech, fast-paced world of global trade.

• The Structure: Apprentices spend four days a week working with ATC (part of Arvato) and one day a week in academic study at TU Dublin.
• The Focus at ATC: supporting Planning and Logistics operations to ensure resources are used efficiently, and service levels are consistently met. It involves coordinating with internal teams, clients, and partners to manage deliveries, meet schedules, adapt to changing demands, and communicate clearly to ensure customer requirements are understood and fulfilled.
• The Mentorship: Training is provided for all workplace systems and procedures. A workplace mentor together with a manager will guide the Logistics Associate Apprentice through their work placement and provide input into other relevant aspects of the course and career development.

Choosing a Logistics Associate Apprenticeship

As we move through 2026, the demand for skilled logistics professionals has never been higher. Here is why the Logistics Associate Apprenticeship is the smartest move for your career:

• Earn as You Learn: LAAs in 2026 earn a competitive market salary as they complete their apprenticeship.
• Get Qualified: Upon completion of the 2-year programme, you receive a QQI Level 6 Higher Certificate in Logistics.
• The “70% Rule” for Degrees: If you achieve a distinction (70%) in your course, you are eligible for direct entry into Year 3 of an Honours Degree (Level 8) at TU Dublin. You could have a full Honours Degree and years of professional experience while your peers are still finishing their first entry-level internships.
• Clear Progression: The LAA is a direct pathway into management roles. Graduates often move quickly into roles such as Logistics Associate, Warehouse Supervisor, or Transport Planner.

• Industry Demand: Ireland is a global hub for pharma, tech, and food exports. Meaning job security is incredibly high for LAA graduates.

An ATC (part of Arvato) Success Story: From Logistics Associate Apprentice to Global Logistics Transport Planner

Meet Ben McGrath

In 2023, Ben McGrath was an 18-year-old leaving cert student facing the same problem many people his age face, deciding how he should take the next step. After speaking with an ATC (part of Arvato) representative, he learned about the Logistics Associate Apprenticeship and applied for the position.

Starting with ATC

Ben received a conditional offer for a placement for the ATC (part of Arvato) LLA programme, based on the outcome of his leaving-cert results. Ben credits this offer as something that helped him be motivated to do well in his leaving-cert exams and that it gave him a sense of calm knowing that he had planned for his future.

Ben opened his results in August 2023 and was delighted to see that he’d achieved his goals. By September he had started his LAA with ATC (part of Arvato).

Training in the United Kingdom

Ben travelled to London in his very first week to learn about the Data Centre Installer (DCI) role. On this trip he got to work on multiple different sites, with vendors and ATC (part of Arvato) crew, in locations such as London, Manchester and Cardiff, Wales. This work on the road before stepping into the office gave Ben real world experience and helped him to develop his understanding of the business.

Working as a DCI in Dublin

For the next six-month period Ben began working on the Dublin site and office 4 days a week, while attending college one day a week at TUD Aungier Street.

On site and in office, Ben learned valuable skills such as cross-team communication, working using standard operating procedures, understanding the business of white glove logistics through seeing it firsthand and understanding the technical aspects of the job.

In college, Ben became comfortable with professional and academic writing, he spoke about how the course helped him learn how to handle large workloads and meet deadlines.

Transition from DCI to Planning

In June 2024, Ben made the decision to transition from DCI to Planning. Although he had joined ATC (part of Arvato) as a Data Centre Installer, he was ambitious about securing himself a planning role from the start, as he felt it was more suited to his strengths.

Ben found the transition to be tricky at first, even mentioning that planning felt like learning a second language. He found that he was able to grow and develop as a planner through asking plenty of questions and throwing himself headfirst into the role to help him gain a strong understanding. After a few weeks he found that planning came like second nature to him.

Specialising in Transfer Orders

Ben was trained in Transfer Orders where he learned how to organise the movement of pallets, batteries, cables, and equipment for a variety of customers. A period of Bens training took part in Frankfurt, Germany. It was here that he got to see how ATC (part of Arvato) are set up in other countries, speak to colleagues he’d communicated with on Microsoft Teams and learn more about how planning worked.

Applying his Skills

By September 2024, Ben was confident in his training, competing as a finalist in the logistics category at WorldSkills Ireland, a 3-day intense competition to test all skills in logistics. The days consisted of 6 hours of handling different tasks, such as writing an academic piece on a green logistics companies initiative, Excel skills, PowerPoint skills, communication skills, which included a mock phone call with a judge roleplaying as a customer and more. The experience was a great way for Ben to show off his skills and to have experience working well under pressure and pacing himself.

A Full Circle Moment

Ben was about to have a full circle moment when he was asked to train a new colleague, a new apprentice on Transfer Orders. An experience that taught him leadership skills, Ben spoke about how he especially liked imparting knowledge when he saw this colleague facing challenges with something that he had difficulty with himself previously. He found it fulfilling watching him progress from the challenge to being able to work alone with confidence.

A Global Opportunity

By January 2025 he had started covering New Zealand shipments online in the evenings, as well as normal working hours. It was around this time that ATC was acquired by Arvato, and in a combined initiative, they distributed an expression of interest-form to employees which asked if they would like the opportunity to work abroad. Ben was very interested, applying to multiple regions before being offered a place in Sydney, Australia. He was extremely excited about the offer and over the next couple of months a plan was developed to have him based in Arvato’s offices in Sydney for 6 months from June to December 2025.

Graduation & Apprentice of the Year Ireland 2025

Ben graduated from his LAA programme in June 2025 and boarded a flight to Australia. After he had landed, he found out that he had been nominated as Apprentice of the Year Ireland 2025, which was a huge boost to his morale when starting the next stage of his career.

 

Working with Arvato Sydney & ATC (part of Arvato) Auckland

Ben settled into the Arvato Sydney office and began NZ deliveries, liaising with their customs broker, their customers and the ATC (part of Arvato) vendor to plan. This also included tracking and responding to alerts from trucks in Europe overnight to maintain ATC (part of Arvato) high security standards.

To gain a better understanding of his responsibilities, Ben travelled with his colleague, to Auckland, New Zealand for a week, where he got real commercial experience, completing site surveys of the 3x AKL sites, having meetings with clients and visiting an ATC (part of Arvato) vendors partner facility which helped to improve their relationship.

Prioritising Education

Ben ensured his education remained a priority. He started a Level 7 Ordinary Bachelor’s Degree in Logistics, Materials and Supply Chain Management back in Ireland, studying part-time, online, while living in Sydney, beginning his classes at 3am. He talks about how this was a challenging experience for him, but he pushed through and passed his first semester by staying disciplined, attending classes, and keeping up with assignments.

Returning Home

When December 2025 rolled around it was time for Ben to return home to Ireland. He completed a handover and provided training ton ATC (part of Arvato) colleague who would replace him on site and then conducted the remainder of the training sessions online over the month to ensure things ran smoothly.

Since returning home, Ben has been working at ATC (part of Arvato), planning rack deliveries for a client he is dedicated to and has been thoroughly enjoying his time in Ireland.

An Inspiration for ATC (part of Arvato) Logistics Associate Apprentices

Ben McGrath is a prime example of what bravery, determination, and hard work can do for your personal growth and professional career. Through starting a new apprenticeship, living away from home for the first time, attending college online and working with global hyperscale clients, Ben was able to prepare himself for the future and showcase a version of himself that he is proud of.

From joining ATC (part of Arvato) when he had just turned 18 to having a very successful career by age 21. He proves that taking the ATC (part of Arvato) LLA pathway is a brilliant option for anyone who wants to be successful, highlighting that those who are willing to be brave enough to seize every opportunity and say yes to any challenge will always be at an advantage in life.

An ATC (part of Arvato) Promise

At ATC (part of Arvato), we work and make decisions with one team in mind and constantly encourage development opportunities for our people and our business.

Appy Today: ATC Logistics Apprenticeship programme – Logistics Associate Apprenticeship – LAA