Construction industry needs 'to attract more female apprentices' to meet housing targets

Ministers Heather Humphreys and Simon Harris launch a new drive to recruit construction workers. Mr Harris said: "We want to bring about a cultural change in terms of more female apprentices. Photo: MAXWELLS

More women must be attracted into trades if the Government's housing targets are to be met, the construction industry body has claimed.

Just 14% of those currently working in construction are women and with a shortage of workers in general, the Government is now pushing for a "cultural change" to increase this figure.

Around 67,500 construction workers will be needed overall to deliver Housing for All and a further 17,000 to carry out retrofitting projects in the coming years.

Asked whether housing targets can be met, Dermot Carey of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), said: "I think as an industry, if we're ignoring 50% of the population, that's a very dangerous route to go down. We need to ensure that to meet the demand that we've already indicated, we do try and attract more women to the industry."

Mr Carey said the sector has been making efforts to attract more women, with representation jumping from 8% two years ago, to 14% now. It comes as Ministers Heather Humphreys and Simon Harris launched a dedicated initiative to recruit construction workers.

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.

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Asked about working towards a more gender-balanced sector, Mr Harris said: "We want to bring about a cultural change in terms of more female apprentices.

"Last month, we introduced for the first time ever a female bursary in relation to apprenticeships, so there's now a cash payment of €2,666 for any company that takes on a female apprentice in an area where there's more than 80% male participation."

However, he said there are currently 11 craft apprenticeship programmes which have five female apprentices or fewer on them and a further five programmes which do not have a single female apprentice.

Ms Humphreys said there are now fewer people on the Live Register than pre-pandemic and said workers will be sought from across Europe to ensure any skills gaps are filled.

"If we are to deliver on our ambitious targets under Housing for All and indeed other major capital projects, we know we're going to need more skilled workers in this sector into the future and construction is a sector where there is a high demand for workers at present," she said.

"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.”