Government launches action plan on construction jobs
The Government has published a plan to boost employment in the construction sector.
The ‘Careers in Construction Action Plan’ highlights the need for the construction industry to recruit and retain a higher number of workers than is currently provided for through education, apprenticeships and current retention levels.
It sets out a series of actions aimed at minimising barriers, promoting career opportunities and making construction jobs more attractive to women.
The steps include reforms in the areas of training and education, more flexible working arrangements and promotional campaigns.
“These actions involve fundamental changes to our education sector’s skills offering, and include steps to tackling the gender bias in the sector,” said Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris.
“Careers in construction are so varied now, involving everything from off-site manufacturing, planning and design, to all of the on-site roles,” Mr Harris said.
The Government is also launching a new mobile retrofit training unit.
Laois Offaly Education and Training Board and the National Construction Training Campus at Mount Lucas have developed the Mobile NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Buildings) Training Unit.
It will travel to construction sites and schools across the country to allow people avail of construction training courses.
“We have seen strong growth in the delivery of home retrofits over the last 18 months, meeting and indeed, breaking, our set targets so far, with a strong pipeline of work into the future,” said Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan.
“Increasing the number of workers with retrofit skills will be critical to building on this momentum so I very much welcome today’s announcement,” Mr Ryan said.
The mobile unit is designed to provide upskilling opportunities for workers in construction and to promote future careers in the industry among students.
Article Source: Government launches action plan on construction jobs – Brian O’Donovan – RTE
