Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 March 2023
255. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps his Department is taking to ensure there is a sufficient number of construction workers to meet demand. [11119/23]
View answerThe Government is committed to increasing the workforce to meet demand and our Housing for All and Climate Action Plan targets. This Department published the Report on the Analysis of Skills for Residential Construction & Retrofitting 2023–2030 and the corresponding action plan in December 2022. My Department is working with colleagues in SOLAS, the HEA and other Departments to respond to projections of skills needs in the construction sector and to increase skills supply through the current network of tertiary skills provision. My Department is putting in place reporting and monitoring arrangements so that the projections in the report are kept under review, and the appropriate education and training responses are delivered.
We are increasing the number of apprentices we train. In recent years, annual intake in construction-related apprenticeships has steadily been increasing. In 2022 there were 4,797 registrations on construction apprenticeship programmes, with a further 831 on construction-related apprenticeship programmes. As of February 2023 (the latest full month figures available), there have been 881 registrations on construction apprenticeship programmes and 119 registrations on construction-related apprenticeship programmes.
The Department also provides other routes for workers into construction, so that the sector can fully utilise available expertise. In December 2022 a new QQI Level 3 Construction Skills Programme was launched under Laois-Offaly ETB. This enables those without previous skills in construction start a career in the sector. It will be rolled out by other ETBs this year.
The range of CAO options has been changed to ensure school leavers are aware of their options and will be expanded further to include traineeships, some of which will help with supplying skilled workers for the sector.
We have established three Centres of Excellence for NZEB and retrofit skills. Courses are also being delivered in Cork ETB and Mayo-Sligo-Leitrim ETB with further provision due later this year and next. The number of workers availing of these free, short courses has increased each year since opening the first centre in 2020. Enrolments rose from 793 in 2021 to 2,034 enrolments in 2022.
The Department is also leading a Focus Group on Careers in Construction, looking at how to attract people into the industry to meet the skills required. The Group will deliver an action plan by Q2 2023.
With the Government’s commitments to ‘Housing for All ’ and the several educational and vocational initiatives provided by this Department and partners, there are clear pathways to a career in construction, which will help to promote the sector.
