Honesty is the best policy, especially when it comes to economic growth. A report released last week cited Ireland's property market as one of the most ‘highly transparent’ in the world. Ireland is ranked 9th globally in terms of most transparent countries.
The JLL Global Real Estate Transparency Index (GRETI) index is published every two years, measuring transparency in 158 metropolitan areas. This year's survey saw a 36% increase in the number of factors which contribute to the overall scoring. Among the 186 unique indicators, new topic areas included:
A distinguishing factor between countries that scored well, was the adoption of technology. The report primes 'Prop-tech' to be a major influence on the property market globally. In terms of adoption of new technology advancements, Ireland ranks 8th globally.
JLL is professional services firm which specialises in real estate and investment management. A Fortune 500 company, JLL has operations in over 80 countries and maintains a global workforce of 83500. Upon the release of this report, John Moran, JLL CEO stated: ‘People underestimate the importance of a transparent market. It gives comfort to occupiers, investors and funders providing a platform that allows for a sustainable market. It is no accident that the world's leading companies, chose to be here where they can thrive in a business-friendly environment.’
In light of recent events, such as the Paradise Papers and other watershed whistleblowing, Niamh Manning, JLL Research Analyst, stresses the importance of transparency: ‘High standards of transparency within the property market has far reaching positive effects, from boosting investment, advancing industry standards, and improving business efficiencies to contributing to a conscious rise in employee wellbeing and satisfaction and helping the environment.’
For more information, or to read the full report, visit www.jll.com.
Are you looking to further your career in construction? Register your place now on our free Construction Expo and Jobs Expo events.
If you know anyone thinking of changing their CAO to construction-based studies, now’s certainly the time. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland just published a report forecasting a shortage of property surveyors. Ultimately, they project a deficit of more than 2,000 for the Irish construction sector over the next four years.
SCSI is a professional body which represents construction, land and property professionals in Ireland. This latest report, titled ‘Employment Opportunities and Future Skills Requirements for Surveying Professions’ is an expansion on one from 2014. It subsequently focuses on employment levels in the sector over the next four years, taking into consideration the numbers currently enrolled on third-level surveying programmes.
If industry growth continues as predicted, the deficit will only increase. The report estimates 3,739 additional surveying positions will be created between now and 2021. Meanwhile, the number of students graduating over the same period is only 1,577, leaving 2,162 vacant roles. Potentially, this shortage of qualified professionals will impact on wage levels and ultimately on building costs.
Read the full report online at www.scsi.ie.
If you want to develop your career in the industry, check out our free Construction Expo, kicking of 29th September in Croke Park. Register your place now.
Are you pursuing a career within the construction sector? We're happy to announce that industry leaders, Rutherford Contracting, will be recruiting at the upcoming Construction Jobs Expo. Meet their team at Croke Park on Saturday 29th September 2018.
Established in 1971 as Rutherford Contracting Services, the organization was created by Dick Rutherford as a small civil, renovation and maintenance contracting company. Although Dick retired in 1989, the organization has continued to grow under the leadership of both Principals and Management, to establish Rutherford Contracting Ltd.
This is the company many know and recognize today as the Contractor of choice for Owners and Consultants in the construction industry. Rutherford owe their over 40 years of success to those who have and continue to trust and support their commitment to service, as well as those on the team who have committed themselves to delivering not just a good product, but a great experience as well.
Rutherford Contracting Ltd. is a General Building and Site Development Contractor. They service the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors of the industry. The building construction division specializes in the renovation and addition of educational facilities, as well as the restoration of historically significant structures.
The organisation's site development division includes civil and infrastructure contracts, park and athletic sports field construction, trail construction, and re-naturalization/habitat construction. Rutherford also operate a small projects division to cater to the ongoing maintenance needs of their Clients.
The company is always evolving and expanding, allowing for new opportunities and exciting projects. The projects are diverse, dynamic and interesting. Rutherford pursue projects that can give their people a sense of pride. Everyone has a role to play and through teamwork and thoroughness they can get to enjoy the final product.
Rutherford completes a hundred projects a year, which exposes its employees to a huge variety of collaborators and skill sets. Furthermore, the company offers a leading CoR certified safety program that encourages staff to up-skill.
We are thrilled to announce that Grafton Merchanting will be exhibiting at Construction Jobs Expo in Croke Park on Saturday 8th September. They'll be recruiting for jobs in construction and related trades.
Grafton Merchanting is a part of Grafton Group plc. The Group is an independent company operating in Merchanting, DIY retailing and Mortar Manufacturing. They work across Ireland, Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium.
In Ireland the Group is the No.1 builders merchants and DIY retailer. Their history stretches back to 1909 when William Thomas Chadwick established his first business. Chadwicks (Dublin) Limited supplied builders merchants and major building contractors with Irish and imported cement and plaster.
Grafton Merchanting owns a number of well-known businesses. These include Chadwicks, Heiton Buckley, Sam Hire, Telfords and Davies builders’ and plumbers’ merchanting businesses. The Merchanting works principally under the Chadwicks, Heiton Buckley and Panelling Centre brands in Ireland. The Group is also the largest DIY retailer in Ireland trading from 35 stores under the Woodie’s brand.
Grafton Group believes that their employees are the reason for their success. Therefore, they are always on the lookout for people to join their team.
The company have opportunities in all disciplines, whether in branch, logistics, manufacturing, warehousing or one of our support offices. With competitive benefits packages, great training and development and group-wide career progression opportunities - they're are always looking for new talent to join the team.
The company for people with commitment, energy and a passion for delivering to consistently high standards so that they can continue to exceed their customers’ expectations and expand business.
We are delighted to announce that JJ Rhatigan & Company are on board for Construction Jobs Expo this autumn. The award winning company will be exhibiting, as well as recruiting at Croke Park on Saturday September 29th.
Established in 1952, JJ Rhatigan & Company has built a renowned reputation within the construction industry. The standard for developing sustainable building projects is of the highest calibre. The organisation's objective is to deliver their clients excellent building services on time, within budget, while demonstrating safety, integrity and quality.
For over fifty years the company has worked on a diverse range of projects. They've worked on small scale building extensions, redesign and renovations to scale landmark developments. The huge return business is a testament to their professionalism.
As one of Ireland’s leading construction companies, JJ Rhatigan & Company is always looking to recruit enthusiastic and committed people. They recognise that the quality and dedication of their staff is intrinsic characteristic in their success story.
JJ Rhatigan & Company operate a business that values and rewards the employees. They place a strong emphasis on continual professional development, broad-based employee nurturing and dedication to training and development.
Furthermore, employees are provided ongoing mentoring and exposed to a breadth of experience across varying sectors and projects. They promote a working environment of respect and fairness and encourage collaboration and interaction among staff.
With operations across Ireland and the UK, JJ Rhatigan continues to expand and delve into new territories and industries. As a result, they have a broad variety of roles that they're looking to fill such as:
We are excited to have leading company, Ardmac, exhibit at our upcoming Construction Jobs Expo. The construction specialists will be recruiting talented candidates on September 29th, 2018 at Croke Park.
Presently, Ardmac is an international construction specialist that delivers complex high-value workspaces and technical environments. They’ve been leading the way in specialist construction for over 40 years. With offices in Dublin, Manchester, Craigavon, and Brussels, the company employs over 300 staff; they provide the in-house global capability to deliver projects to the highest standards across Europe. At Ardmac, they are certainly focused on Building Better. Mainly, their vision is to be the contractor of choice for clients and the workplace of choice for great people.
The Ardmac slogan - Building Better - is not only restricted to their projects, but also defines their relationships. Subsequently, the organisation's relationships with clients over the years is built with integrity and trust. Mainly, Ardmac encourages its employees to strive for originality and demonstrate a forward-thinking mentality. They fundamentally entrust their people to guide and build a strong connection with clients so they feel comfortable.
Since then, the principles that helped shape the business remain consistent in the work today. This is evident in their advocacy of a collaborative work environment with thoughtful debate and open discussion between all staff members. This motto goes for the newest recruits all the way up to the company veterans. This drives business to evolve and innovate, and to maintain their position as industry leaders.
Working across a range of industries gives their employees the opportunity to develop their skillset in multiple sectors. Furthermore, Ardmac provides career progression opportunities through cross-sector training and internal promotion.
Grab your hardhat, toolkit and CV. . . Construction Jobs Expo is coming to Dublin for autumn 2018. The recruitment fair will take place on Saturday September 29th at Croke Park's Hogan Suite.
Construction Job Expo is Ireland’s new jobs and employment fair. The aim of the event is to place construction workers directly in touch with the industry employers in Ireland. The Construction Jobs Expo has been devised because of the demand for skilled construction workers within the industry. Furthermore, as the Irish construction industry continues to gather pace, this expo can act as an arena for candidates and employers to meet.
The Construction Industry Federation expects that up to 112,000 jobs will be created between now and 2020 in order to complete an estimated €17.8bn worth of projects ready to go from next year. Key requirements will be:
• 30,800 carpenters and joiners
• 15,200 electricians
• 13,900 plasterers and tillers
• 11,800 plumbers
• 9,400 painters and decorators
• 7,800 bricklayers
Construction Jobs Expo is an excellent opportunity to meet employers face-to-face, make great industry connections and get FREE career guidance. The event establishes a more informal setting, where you can talk to employers in a more relaxed environment. In addition to meeting employers, there are career coaches present to offer help with CVs and interview skills. As well as innovative industry talks from career professionals.
Finding staff with talent, energy and innovative thinking is necessary, but it can be a time-consuming and costly business. The Construction Jobs Expo campaign will advertise companies and their job vacancies leading upto the event. The marketing across radio, cinema, social media and print will attract a wide variety of talented candidates. These will include carpenters, joiners, electricians, plasterers and tillers, plumbers, painters and decorators and bricklayers amongst others.
Construction Jobs Expo will take place in Dublin on September 29th at Croke Park. It'll be a FREE event for anyone attending. It will be run by Careers Unlimited, operators of the Jobs Expo Ireland fairs, which take place twice-yearly in Dublin, Cork & Galway.
If you’re a job-seeker looking for new opportunities, click here to register for our upcoming events.
Construction firm CRH has topped The Irish Times TOP 1000 2017. The TOP 1000 is the definitive database of Ireland’s leading companies.
The outlook for 2017 is positive, and many sectors of the economy are rebounding after the challenges of the last few years.
Profits are up. Ireland’s top companies increased their net profits to €34 billion since 2016, up from €28 billion in 2016 and €22.4 billion in 2015.
This figure does not reflect the full picture. Multinationals, such as Apple, Penneys, IBM and Intel do not report financial figures for their Irish operations. As a result, the profit figure is likely to be considerably higher.
In addition, financial institutions including Bank of Ireland, AIB and Ulster Bank are no long in debt.
Construction behemoth CRH has held onto first position. The company had a global turnover of €27 billion, in addition to a massive €700 jump in profits.
Second placed Medtronic is snapping at CRH’s heels with a global turnover of €26 billion in the year to April 2017.
Google has moved up to third place, former winner Microsoft placed fourth, and Oracle is up two places to edge into the Top 10.
A number of well-known companies are just outside the Top 10. Facebook gained five places to move into 13th position and Ryanair is in at 15.
Medtronic added almost €300 million to its profits in 2017. As a result, it is Ireland’s most profitable company. However, like many of the multinationals with Irish operations, Medtronic generates the majority of its profits from its global business.
Other Irish companies with impressive profits include Smurfit Kappa with €654 million, the Kerry Group at €611 million and €314 million for Kingspan.
Medtronic, Ireland’s most profitable company, is also Ireland’s biggest taxpayer. The company has a tax bill of €518 million for 2017. That’s around 13 percent.
CRH paid an effective rate of 27 percent, racking up a bill of €471 million last year.
Smurfit Kappa has one of the highest tax rates at 30 percent. Their tax bill was €196 million of tax on earnings of €654 million.
Companies don’t always pay the corporate tax rate of 12.5 percent. The rate can change, with companies paying tax at a higher rate in one year, and a lower rate the next.
The construction industry has become one of the most buoyant areas of the economy. Last year, the industry added about 1,000 jobs every month. However, skills shortages are hampering growth.
In 2016, DKM, the economic consultants, produced a report, “Demand for Skills in Construction to 2020” for the Construction Industry Federation (CIF). The report found that the industry would need an additional 76,000 workers over four years. It also warned that that there is considerable concern about the lack of skilled workers.
CAO figures show that students are increasingly opting to study architecture, engineering and courses linked to the built environment.
However, the number of apprentices across trades is worryingly low. In 2007, the construction industry had 23,700 apprentices. In 2016, there were just 4,400. As a result, there may not be enough people with the necessary skills to meet the demand.
Adding to the shortage is the large number of skilled workers who emigrated during the recession. Many had little choice.
Over five years of recession, the construction industry shed 180,000 jobs. In the first quarter of 2013, the industry employed nearly two-thirds fewer people than during the peak year 2007.
Unsurprisingly, this negatively affected the industry’s image. Although the number of third-level students choosing construction industry courses is up, the DKM report notes that improving the perception of the industry is crucial.
The number of qualified workers and apprentices in skilled crafts significantly dropped since the recession. One of the hardest hit was bricklayers and masons. The industry employed around two-thirds fewer of these craftspeople between the last quarters of 2007 and 2015. Over the same period, the number of apprentices dropped by 96.7 percent.
In addition, the industry shed 72 percent of its qualified plasterers, floorers and wall tillers. Apprentices for these fell 96.5 percent.
The DKM report recommended that the government and industry should work together to improve skills capacity. In addition, it suggested setting up a Construction Skills Forum to monitor progress and address barriers in the education and training system.
However, the construction industry needs skilled people now. Therefore, the report also recommends an international recruitment drive to target skilled workers who have left.
They also recommended working with SOLAS and Education and Training Board to deliver construction skills. This would help ease shortages as well as take people off the unemployment register.
In an interview with the magazine Irish Building, CIF Director General Tom Parlon noted that Irish construction firms can offer international experience.
“The CIF is now working to highlight the fact that construction can now provide globalised and innovation driven careers. The traditional crafts are in high demand but increasingly technology and innovation are producing new careers within the construction field. Many Irish companies internationalised, building infrastructure and commercial buildings in London, Dubai, China and many other global centres. These companies are now recognised as global leaders - the PM group is building the largest pharma plant in the world in China at the moment.”
The construction industry is booming, and with it, more and more students are considering careers in land, property and construction.
Last year the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland surveyed its members across all disciplines to shed light on the rewards and benefits available to those considering a career in surveying. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland is the independent professional body for chartered surveyors working and practising in Ireland.
The SCSI Salary and Benefits Report is a comprehensive remuneration survey for professionals working within property and construction.
The national average annual salary was a very respectable €70,717. However, there were some key differences worth examining. Let’s have a look at some of these.
During the first five years of their career, construction surveyors averaged a salary of €46,821 per year. Over the same period, property surveyors earned an average of €34,703 annually.
Surveyors working in Dublin were better compensated than those in other parts of Ireland. Here are the average annual salaries per region:
There is a gender pay gap in the profession. Men in the profession earn on average 13 percent more than women. However, if we look at experience as well as gender, things are a little more complicated.
The largest difference in salary is in the 16-20 years’ experience bracket. Here men out-earned women by 40 percent. It is hard to draw definitive conclusions from this as the number of female surveyors in this category was proportionally lower than in other categories.
During the first five years, women earned 7.6 percent more than their male counterparts did. The same as true in the 11-15 years’ experience bracket as women earned an average of 1.9 percent more. Again, these figures may reflect the fact that at all levels of experience, there were significantly more men than women.
The most common benefits chartered surveyors received were mobile phones and laptops, as well as professional association membership.
Over a third (36 percent) of chartered surveyors received 20-22 paid holidays per year. This was the most common holiday entitlement. Next, a quarter received 23-25 and a further 15 percent received 25-29 paid holidays respectively. Finally, a lucky 11 percent have more than 30 paid holidays per annum.
Due to the disproportional number of men versus women, SCSI analysed responses of maternity and paternity benefits separately. They found that 44 percent of female surveyors get some level of paid maternity leave from their employers. Only 18 percent of male surveyors received paid paternity leave.
Overall, surveyors seem happy in their jobs. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) expected to receive a pay increase in 2017. Furthermore, an impressive 80 percent of surveyors were not intending to change employer in the next 12 months.
