Construction Work and Skills Week ( 19 – 26 May 2022) features a series of recruitment events hosted by the department of Social Protection at a number of locations around the country.
The week has begun with a large construction careers, apprenticeship and training expo in Tallaght stadium.
The focus for the week is on recruitment, apprenticeships, women in construction and starting your own business.
It follows on from the recently announced #FutureBuilding initiative that is dedicated to recruiting construction workers. A cross-functional unit including staff from the Department of Social Protection, SOLAS and Education and Training Boards Ireland with expertise in activation, recruitment and training has been established to expedite the delivery of this element of the Pathways to Work Strategy.
To deliver on the government’s Housing for All target of delivering 33,000 new homes in Ireland every year until 2030 it is estimated that the construction sector needs to recruit an additional 27,500 new workers over the next 5 years.
The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys recognises the challenges in recruiting already skilled workers from Ireland and abroad and also ensuring a pool of workers through apprenticeship, education and training options.
“This construction work and skills week will give an opportunity at a local and national level to showcase construction as a career option.
“Some 40 events have been planned at a number of locations around the country and in Dublin, many being in-person with employers seeking to fill vacancies attending and other events being hosted online.
“The events range from a large construction careers expo in Dublin to small local apprenticeship sessions in ETBs training centres.
“The officials in my department along with colleagues in the Department of Further and Higher Education are driving our #FutureBuilding Initiative under the government’s Pathways to Work Strategy.”
The week will conclude with a European Online Jobs Day featuring Green Jobs in Ireland, including construction jobs.
A schedule of events is available below.
Construction Work and Skills Week Schedule of Events, 19 – 26 May 2022
Study in Europe is hosting a Study in Europe Virtual Fair Green Engineering on Tuesday, 24 May 2022.
Study in Europe is a European Union (EU) project, which aims to
Study in Europe provides information about study opportunities in 33 European countries. These countries participate in Erasmus+, the EU's programme supporting students from EU and partner countries across the world to study in Europe.
Thinking about studying in Europe? Want to build a greener future? Then join the Study in Europe fair, meet European university representatives online and
Take the chance to:
30 universities and national agencies look forward to welcoming you.
This June sees a free public seminar on the skills needs of the traditional building sector in Ireland followed by a demonstration of traditional skills.
The seminar will be held at Atlantic Technological University, Galway city, on Friday, 3 June 2022 and the demonstration will be at the Irish Workhouse Centre, Portumna on Saturday, 4 June.
The seminar will involve a panel discussion between representatives from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB Ireland), education providers and representatives of the traditional skills sector.
It will focus on the recently published report “A Living Tradition: A Strategy to Enhance the Understanding, Minding and Handing on of Our Built Vernacular Heritage - prepared by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage” which sets out actions to ensure vernacular skills are sustainable within the next generation and calls for the involvement of individuals and bodies to analyse the current state and future needs of sector, through public events involving stakeholders.
Event organiser Gary Dempsey, Heritage lecturer, Department of Heritage and Tourism, ATU Galway International Hotel School, says: “This is a great opportunity to hear the views of the public and especially those working in the sector, to inform future needs, training, and sustainability plans in traditional building.
“The workshop on Saturday is for individuals who wish to upskill or learn more about traditional buildings skills. It will include a practical workshop on traditional lime mortars with Mathieu & Mitchell Ltd, an introduction to and mixing of traditional lime mortars, followed by practical demonstration of lime plastering and pointing using natural hydraulic mortars.”
These events are funded by the Heritage Council through the Community Heritage Grant Scheme 2022.
A Housing for All FutureBuilding Initiative dedicated to recruit construction workers has been launched.
This initiative aims to spearhead activation and recruitment for the construction sector and drive internal projects to support this work.
The FutureBuilding Initiative is an 18-month pilot which will operate through a team staffed by Intreo from the Department of Social Protection, SOLAS and Education and Training Boards. It is being financed under the government’s Housing for All Implementation Fund.
Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, commented:
“There are now fewer people on the Live Register than pre-pandemic. This clearly shows that the government’s Pathways to Work strategy is delivering but of course we must always strive to do more.
“Construction is a sector where we know there are huge numbers of job opportunities. Through the new FutureBuilding initiative, we will be working directly with jobseekers, supporting them through training and skills development and matching them with employers.
“This is part of a major recruitment drive in the construction sector. Later this month, I will also launch a specific Construction Work and Skills week which will see almost 40 events held nationally to promote jobs, training and apprenticeships in construction and associated careers.”
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris said:
“We clearly have a housing crisis driven by a shortage in supply. However, as supply increases, we need to ensure we have enough people to match the demand.
“This will mean supporting the industry in returning existing workers to full employment and a significant ramp-up in education and training opportunities, including commitments regarding programmes and apprenticeships and delivery of new courses.
“This new FutureBuilding Initiative will see people from training agencies across the country working with Intreo in the Department of Social Protection to identify people for direct placement into employment in the sector and for referral to relevant education and training opportunities.”
Andrew Brownlee, Chief Executive of SOLAS commented:
“Further education, training and apprenticeships have a vital role to play in building up the skills that the Irish labour market needs to address the housing crisis, a principle aim of Housing For All. The FET sector offers a diverse and dynamic range of construction courses - catering for school leavers, those re-entering the workforce, or people looking to retrain or upskill in the construction sector.
“FutureBuilding is an important and collaborative initiative to ensure the right opportunities, be that recruitment or training, get into the hands of the right people, at the right time. SOLAS - and the ETBS delivering this vital training around the country - keenly understand the urgency of this shared national goal. We’re committed to ensuring a talented pipeline of ambitious, motivated individuals pass through the FET system and into the construction industry.”
Grants have been awarded for a wide range of archaeological heritage projects under the Department’s 2022 Community Monuments Fund. 128 projects are being supported with an overall investment of €6 million. This investment builds on last year's investment under the scheme in which which 139 awards were granted to an amount of just under €4.2 million,
The core objective of the Community Monuments Fund is to support the conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of local monuments and historic sites. It contains a number of different measures aimed at enabling conservation works to be carried out on archaeological monuments which are deemed to be significant and in need of urgent support, encouraging access to archaeological monuments and improving their presentation and also building resilience in archaeological monuments to enable them to withstand the effects of climate change.
Under three Streams the Community
Monuments Fund supports a broad range of measures aimed at protecting and promoting archaeological monuments, including emergency conservation repair works at monuments, masonry repair, the development of Conservation Management Plans, access infrastructure and installation of interpretation signage, and social media projects aimed at disseminating knowledge of Ireland’s archaeological heritage.
The Minister of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Mr Malcolm Noonan, TD, said:
“I am delighted to announce the Community Monuments Fund awards for 2022. The increased funding we are announcing today of €6 million to 128 projects will help protect our wonderful archaeological heritage and make it more accessible to the many who cherish it.
These awards help us to deliver on various commitments under Heritage Ireland 2030, the new national heritage plan launched earlier this year. It will provide further supports for communities and custodians and the heritage sector, for archaeologists, conservation architects, stone masons, and other professional trades.
These projects will also help build resilience against extreme weather and mitigate the impacts of climate change, a priority action embedded in our Climate Adaptation Plan.
Minister Noonan added:
“I want to commend our National Monuments Service for their huge effort in managing the scheme and the Local Authorities for their incredible support in administering applications. I am particularly happy that we are helping to meet the ambition of local communities across Ireland in protecting their archaeological heritage.”
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, TD, said:
"Our archaeological monuments provide a sense of place to rural communities, villages, towns and cities across the country. With my colleague, Minister of State Malcolm Noonan, TD, we have grown this Fund yet again from last year to have a real impact on communities and the monuments. The wide range of projects which have been included are testament to the rich history which surrounds us all.”
Minister of State for Local Government Peter Burke also welcomed the announcement, stating:
"The remarkable impact and success of the Community Monuments Fund is a result of the close working relationship between our Department’s National Monuments Service and Local Authorities- the Archaeologists, Conservation Officers, Heritage Officers and planning and administrative staff and partnership with communities- showcasing their valuable role in protecting and promoting Ireland’s heritage. On foot of this weeks’ celebration of heritage through the International Day for Monuments and Sites, otherwise known as World Heritage Day, it is really fitting that such support is shown for our archaeological heritage.”
A full list of the projects being funded can be downloaded here:
Community Monuments Funding 2022
A new gender-based bursary for apprenticeship employers has been announced by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
The bursary is worth €2,666 and is available to employers who employ apprentices on any national apprenticeship programme with greater than 80% representation of a single gender.
The new gender-based bursary comes into effect from 1 January 2022.
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris said:
"This is a key recommendation of our Apprenticeship Action Plan.
"There are currently 41 apprenticeship programmes that are predominately male.
"This bursary aims to right those wrongs by incentivising employers to expand their horizons, challenge the preconceptions that certain programmes are for certain genders.
"This bursary is in addition to the government supports that apprenticeship employers receive via the craft training allowance and the employer grant. So if you are a leader in construction or engineering, an electrician or a plumber, you could receive an additional €2,666 if you take on a female apprentice.
"There are still only 270 women craft apprentices, or 1% of the craft population. There are 5 craft apprenticeship programmes with not a single woman, and 11 craft programmes with less than 5 women. We need to move the dial.
"There is only one apprenticeship predominately female. So, if you are a hairdresser and take on a male apprentice, you can receive the bursary too."
The bursary to eligible employers will be paid in two instalments. €1,333 is payable following completion of 6 months training by the apprentice. The second payment of €1,333 is payable following completion of 18 months training by the apprentice.
The gender-based bursary is being introduced as part of the national Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025.
Mary-Liz Trant, Director of the National Apprenticeship Office said:
"This additional incentive for employers is really welcome as we open up apprenticeship opportunities for learners of all backgrounds.
"At the moment only 1,500 or 6% of apprentices in Ireland are women. In the construction and engineering fields that percentage is even lower. We want to see really strong take up of the bursary among employers, with increased diversity benefitting our 21st century industries."
The QEHS Summit is taking place on May 25th-26th 2022 in the Citywest Convention Centre.
This gathering of over 1000 Quality, Environmental, Health and Safety professionals from Irelands largest companies offers an opportunity to keep up-to-date with the latest industry trends, innovations, best practice and new technology solutions in the areas of Quality, Environmental and Health and Safety.
The day consists of a main stage with speakers who are leading quality, health, safety, lean and environmental professionals from construction and engineering industries. Hear from some of the biggest and brightest industry thought leaders as they discuss various topics related quality and safety.
The Hitechniques Practical Usage of GPS/GNSS Training Course For Surveyors And Construction Engineers will help you improve your surveys, get more site information and spend less time connecting the dots in the office.
The course will also make you more confident in using modern technology on site, complete your jobs faster and increase your revenue with better orders from contractors.
Architects, Engineers – if you are involved in
Site Managers/Foremen
What you will learn on GPS/GNSS Training Course
The STEPS Team, Engineers Ireland invite all Transition Year students to take past in Free Virtual Engineering Work Experience.
This Work Experience will give students an overview of the variety and depth of opportunities a career in engineering can offer. There will be live webinars as well as modules you can work away on at your own pace.
All students who complete the programme will receive a certificate.
Application deadline: 20th April.
The modules in this programme include:
Introduction into the engineering industry
In this introductory module, Engineers Ireland will give you an overview of the engineering industry as well as answer any questions you might have - like, what does an engineer actually do? You'll also learn some of the different career opportunities available within the industry. In this module's activity, you'll have the opportunity to explore what roles interest you and what skills you’ll need to be successful in engineering.
Innovation in engineering
This programme is open to Transition Year students in Ireland (15 to 16 years, 4th year in secondary school) and Year 11 (or 15 to 16 year in secondary school) in Northern Ireland.
Reference this programme on your CV and Personal Statement.
Are you inquisitive and naturally curious about how things work? Would you like to make a difference in people’s lives and the world around us? Are you creative, do you like making, breaking or designing things? Do you like working as part of a team?
If you answered yes to most of these questions, engineering might be a good fit for you.
In this module, you’ll get an introduction to innovation in engineering and the application of innovative ideas in engineering. You’ll learn about trending innovation and how tech plays its part in accelerating us towards the future. As well as this high-level look, you’ll also learn how innovation is applied at the design level and its impact, with examples.
Sustainability in engineering
In this module, you’ll understand how sustainability plays a part in the design and manufacturing process, with a spotlight on sustainable design approaches, construction materials, manufacturing methods. We’ll also take a look at decarbonisation, energy efficiency and using our resources responsibly. Finally, you’ll get to look at some of the green careers opportunities available now and in the future.
Future cities
In this module, you’ll get an introduction to what the future of engineering could look like, with examples of current developments and projects. You’ll learn about smart cities, the type of tech/tools currently in use and those that could be used in the future, and the opportunities this creates for engineering professionals. You’ll also take a look at collaboration in the community with a sample of case studies of local initiatives.
Inspire - Women for Engineering takes place on Wed, 27 April 2022 10:00 – 12:00 at the University Concert Hall, Limerick.
The event features four fantastic female engineers who will outline their exciting journeys and their amazing careers.
With the skills shortage reaching a critical point, it’s vital that more young women are encouraged to consider careers in engineering .
To help celebrate the valuable work of engineers and promote the contribution women have made to this profession, Inspire - Women for Engineering is sharing stories from some female trailblazers who are inspiring the next generation of Engineers.
Virtual Recruitment Ireland will be hosting a Manufacturing & Engineering Online Careers Fair on Thursday, 7th April 2022 from 10am to 4pm. The jobs fair will be focusing on the manufacturing sector. Interested in a new role? Learn about openings and chat directly with hiring managers and recruiters at this great, online, recruitment event.
The Manufacturing & Engineering Careers Fair will feature some of Ireland’s leading manufacturing employers and specialised engineering roles, as well as a full day of exciting talks and webinars to give you career advice and more information about roles available from the participating companies.
There are great benefits that come with going virtual. You can log in from anywhere in the world as long as you have a Desktop, Laptop, Tablet or Smartphone and Wi-Fi connection. Furthermore, you can cut travel expenses on getting to a venue, buying coffee or food. And lastly, you will have access to the platform before and after the live event, which means you can create your profile, upload your CV, research companies and even begin applying for jobs before and after the 7th April 2022.
