IRELAND’S CONSTRUCTION FIRMS and state agencies have told the government that there is a widespread shortage of specialised construction and infrastructure workers, resulting in delays to projects in the sector.

Further and Higher Education Minister James Lawless is hosting a second National Skills Roundtable today at University College Dublin with builders, representative bodies and state agencies.

According to an informal survey taken by the Department of Further and Higher Education in advance of today’s meeting, the vast majority of companies told the minister and his department of major skills gaps.

Key among the concerns is the ‘rapid’ technological change that is reshaping skills needed, with growing demand for AI and digital engineering.

Construction and infrastructure industry leaders told the government that modernisation of training and stronger promotion of construction careers will be important to meet growing workforce demands.

Lawless is expected to tell the gathering that the government has doubled investment in skills since 2020, including €79 million for apprenticeship delivery in the last budget.

“We now have 87 apprenticeship programmes available across the country, opening up more opportunities than ever before to build careers in construction and beyond,” Lawless is due to tell the roundtable.

Lawless is to tell the roundtable that the government’s focus is on “turning that investment into real capacity on the ground”, by increasing apprenticeship registrations and expanding training programmes that are aligned with the needs of modern building.