Press release
Minister Humphreys launches Construction Work and Skills Week
From Department of Social Protection
Published on
Last updated on
Image: Minister Humphreys has launched the start of a Construction Work and Skills Week in which a series of recruitment events are being hosted around the country
The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, today launched the start of a Construction Work and Skills Week in which a series of recruitment events are being hosted by the department at a number of locations around the country.
The week has begun with a large construction careers, apprenticeship and training expo in Tallaght stadium, which the Minister visited.
There are some 28 employers attending this event along with a number of other service providers including TU Dublin, local ETBs and organisations including CIF and WorldSkills Ireland.
This event also features a demo room where jobseekers attending will have the opportunity to try out some trades on VR machines.
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.
Minister 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.
Minister Humphreys commented:
“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.
