Construction's bright future with 50,000 new jobs on the horizon  

There are currently 170,000 working in construction, but far more are needed, says the Construction Industry Federation

Kieran O’Donovan, chair of the Southern Region of the Construction Industry Federation, and managing surveyor at Murnane O’Shea.

Young people considering their career choices can feel confident that construction and engineering roles offer them a rewarding future, say leaders in Cork’s construction sector.

There are currently almost 170,000 working in construction, but far more are needed. The government’s new Careers in Construction Action Plan estimates that 50,831 new entrants will have to be recruited into the construction sector from 2023-2030.

Promoting the bright future for construction careers will be a core message for the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) Southern Construct Summit on Thursday, September 7, in Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork.

One big challenge for construction is that the number of students taking up courses in the construction sector continues to fall. It seems that parents, who remember well the property crash, perceive the construction sector to be an ‘unstable’ career and may be therefore influencing their children not to get into the sector.

“Many parents and careers guidance counsellors are pushing their children in different directions, so we’re doing everything we can to promote the great career opportunities on offer in construction,” said Kieran O’Donovan, chair of CIF Southern Region and managing surveyor at Murnane O’Shea, the Cork-based construction firm.

“Working in construction offers huge choices. You can branch into facilities management, project management and there are huge opportunities for entrepreneurs to set up their own businesses across the sector.

“Your skills and experience are recognised and in demand globally. In many other careers, you don’t have anything like the same opportunities to redirect into new pathways.” 

As well as promoting the skills pipeline, the CIF’s Southern Construct Summit will also focus on the themes of housing, the Port of Cork Masterplan, and Cork’s ability to attract investment.

The speakers at the event will include: Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, Eoin McGettigan,  CEO Port of Cork,  Dearbhla Lawson, chief planner and head of strategic planning, Land Development Agency, Nigel O’Neill, director of capital programme management, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, and Jim Power, economist.

There will also be a strong construction sector representation, with Maurice Killeen, director, PJ Hegarty, Conor O’Connell, director of housing and planning, CIF, and Patrick Doyle, South West Regional manager, IDA.

John Fitzgibbon, Cork ETB Director of Further Education & Training, will discuss the measures and initiatives ongoing to encourage uptake of trades and roles in construction. CIF continues to work closely with Cork ETB to build a pipeline of talent for the sector.

Kieran O’Donovan said: “The Southern Construct Summit is a key event for business in Munster as it brings together political and industry leaders, influencers and policymakers across the construction sector and industry at large.

“We have a number of key focus areas this year, including implementation of the Port of Cork Masterplan to create a global port of the future, housing and the housing market, building Cork’s critical infrastructure and attracting future investment, and fostering a pipeline of talent to support the construction sector.” 

 Kieran O’Donovan has over three decades of experience in the construction sector in Ireland, working on large-scale commercial, residential and environmental projects. He is currently involved in some of the largest housing projects in Cork, including Heathfield, Ballincollig with 380 units, as well as Embury in Carrigtwohill which is a 300-plus housing development.

Promoting the construction skills pipeline is central to ambitions to develop Cork. The CIF wants young people to see that the sector has a huge number of opportunities and offers such a variety of roles and disciplines that there really is a job for everyone in construction.

“I see it myself firsthand every day on building sites where the average age of workers is now circa 40 years of age, where a decade ago it was approximately 30 years of age. While it is great to have experienced workers in the sector, we need young people entering the industry to ensure a pipeline for the next decade and beyond,” said Kieran.

The CIF has been proactively working with secondary schools in the Munster region to provide information and increase awareness about the incredible opportunities in the sector.

“We go out into schools to talk about the construction industry, and to encourage students to consider this area for employment in the future. We are very proactive in this regard, as we see it as a key enabler for growth in the sector.

“However we need more support from education and training boards, and in particular from career guidance teachers in secondary schools to highlight the huge opportunities for students for careers in the Construction Industry. We are really promoting construction to all genders also, as diversity is key to growing the skills pipeline in the industry." 

cif.ie/event/southern-construct-summit/