Most people applying for skilled work in Ireland from abroad have never done a trade test. They have done the job for ten years, so the idea of being tested on it feels strange. But a trade test is now the normal way a serious employer decides who to hire from overseas, and knowing what happens on the day is the difference between passing and going home disappointed.
Here is what happens, from an agency that runs them every week.
Why employers test
An employer hiring from abroad cannot meet you in their own workshop first. They are committing to a permit application, flights and months of paperwork on the strength of a CV. A trade test replaces the CV with evidence. You do the job, on real equipment, in front of an assessor, and the employer watches the recording. If you can do the work, the test is the best thing that can happen to you, because it removes every doubt.
What a welder is asked to do
The employer sends their own welding procedure, called a WPS, which sets out the process, the material, the thickness, the position and the consumables. You weld a test piece to that procedure. Common tests are plate and pipe in the positions the employer actually uses on their shop floor. The assessor looks at preparation, set up, technique, the finished weld and how you handle the kit. Read the WPS before you travel and ask questions if anything is unclear. Nobody is marked down for asking.
What a mechanic is asked to do
Fault finding on a real vehicle. You are given a truck or a piece of plant with a fault and asked to diagnose it, explain what you found and what you would do about it. The assessor is listening to how you think as much as watching what you do. Talking through your reasoning out loud is a good habit. Some employers now also ask for a short video assessment first, where you walk through your last job card in your own words.
What a driver is asked to do
A licence check first, because licence categories and what they mean differ from country to country. Then a drive with an assessor, sometimes with a trailer, sometimes on a site. Bring every document you hold: licence, professional driving permit, any certificates, and your record of the classes of vehicle you have driven.
What people get wrong
Turning up without their certificates. Overstating their experience on the CV and being found out in the first ten minutes. Not reading the WPS. Not asking what the test involves. Treating it as a formality. The people who pass are the ones who prepare for it the way they would for a driving test.
What it costs you
Nothing. A licensed agency never charges a candidate for a trade test, for an introduction, or for a job offer. If anyone asks you to pay for a test or a job, walk away.
About Sama Talent Group
Sama Talent Group runs trade tests in Johannesburg, Manila and Dubai, and arranges testing near candidates elsewhere. If you want to be considered for skilled trades roles in Ireland and the UK, you can register at samatalent.com/work-in-ireland. Every application is read. Because of the number of applications, the team cannot reply to everyone, but if a role fits, they will be in touch.
If you are an employer wondering who else in your county already hires from abroad, the Sama employer directory at samatalent.com/employers lists every Irish employer with permit history, built from the official figures.