Why you should consider a career in construction

gradireland editorial team

2 Feb 2024, 10:56

As students contemplate where their future lies, the demand for skilled craftspeople makes the construction sector an attractive choice, whether you choose to follow the apprenticeship or third-level route, writes Antoinette Rourke, lecturer with the Department of Construction & Surveying at Dundalk Institute of Technology.

People who work in construction wearing hard hats and vests on site

A skills shortage in construction

Recent studies highlight that not only is there now a considerable increase in demand for construction and property related skills, but that there is also a significant shortage of graduates needed to meet this growing demand with construction firms reporting challenges in hiring skilled staff. This is especially true for small and medium sized enterprises which make up the lion’s share of this sector in Ireland.

This shortfall is predicted to continue for some time, and it is now an excellent time to consider a career in the construction industry. Construction trades such as carpentry and joinery, or plumbing and electrical, provide graduates with excellent job opportunities in the construction and property industry, irrespective of economic conditions.

Any student who successfully gains an apprenticeship, and qualifies in a construction trade, or completes a programme of study in a construction/ property related area finds themselves prepared to take up an increasing number of jobs in the traditional sectors of the construction industry. Not only this but these students are also qualified for jobs and careers in emerging areas such as passive building design and construction, energy efficiency and management, sustainable (green) construction, lean construction and modern methods of construction (MMC’s) and building information modelling (BIM).

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