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Press release

Ministers Heather Humphreys and Simon Harris launch new drive to recruit construction workers

Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, and Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, today launched Housing for All FutureBuilding Initiative that is dedicated to recruit construction workers.

This initiative will result in the two government departments and related agencies joining forces to spearhead activation and recruitment for the construction sector and drive internal projects to support this work. A new cross-functional unit which includes staff with expertise in activation, recruitment and training has been established to oversee this initiative.

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 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 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.”

Notes

The FutureBuilding Initiative will:

  • lead the work with Construction Industry Federation, other sectoral representatives and individual employers to identify recruitment needs (by location, skillset)
  • conduct skills analysis of unemployed/inactive people at a regional/ local level to identify and prioritise training opportunities
  • identify people who previously worked in the construction sector and communicate employment opportunities in the construction sector to these workers
  • work with Solas/ETBs to identify and engage with those with prior sector-relevant training experience
  • work with Solas/ETBs to progress opportunities for jobseekers arising from Green Skills Action Programme
  • use the EURES programme, funded by the EU Commission, to attract and support social mobility of workers from across the EU/EEA to jobs in Ireland

Under the government’s Housing for All plan, 33,000 new housing units are to be delivered each year to 2030. To meet this, it is estimated that the total housing construction labour demand will need to rise from approximately 40,000 full-time equivalent workers at its 2019/2020 level, to 67,500 workers by the middle of the decade. This represents the need for 27,500 additional construction sector workers over five years. Currently, 7,500 workers are needed in the sector each year.

The FutureBuilding Initiative is being financed under the Housing for All Implementation Fund, which was established to ensure that sufficient targeted resources and expertise are in place across departments and agencies to expedite delivery of the Plan.