The construction industry is one of the largest employers in Ireland and is the industry that delivers on the infrastructure requirements to allow the Irish economy to flourish and grow. There are many facets to the industry from Civil Engineering , which constructs the nations roads, rail, water etc infrastructure, Mechanical and electrical which installs the technical capability into structures including electrical, broadband and industrial processes and of course the housing a residential sector.
There is much discussion about climate change and it is the construction sector that can deliver on the actions required to address some of these issues – such as construction of alternative energy sources, retrofitting of existing structures to increase their thermal efficiency etc. In short, the construction industry works to provide our citizens with the infrastructure for our daily lives.
There are many exciting possibilities to build a rewarding career in Construction whether you are interested in trade e.g. electrician or a profession , e.g. Engineer there will be a role for you. If you are a problem solver, interested in seeing the project you are working on taking shape and are committed to making the daily lives of our citizens better, then consider a career in construction. With the current housing shortage in Ireland there has been an ambitious plan of action set by Government to tackle this crisis.
The Irish construction industry employs over 150,000 people directly – these people work in a range of roles from deign, planning , contract and project management , onsite and off site roles.
Source: National Skills Bulletin 2025
Click image to read the latest CIF Annual Report 2025:
The construction industry is thriving once again and levels of recruitment are increasing as activity grows the overall Irish economy improves.
Key positions that need to be filled in the next 10 years are:
A number of key Government strategies aim to shape the Ireland of 2030. The success of these strategies are largely dependent on the construction industry's capacity over the coming decade.:
In order to meet this planned growth, the industry needs skilled professionals and crafts people to manage and deliver high quality projects.
The shape of Ireland’s construction activity is broadening heading into 2026:
Employment in the construction industry has grown from 145,000 in 2019 to 152,000 in 2025 – the demand for skilled people continues.
Women make up 10.2% of those working in construction in Ireland.The Construction Industry Federation celebrating women campaign strives to promote inspiring role models to women and girls considering joining the industry. Read their career stories here.
Skills shortages remain a defining issue, particularly outside Dublin and the main urban centres.
The key areas that require personnel are - Engineering (all disciplines), Project and Construction Management, Surveying (all disciplines), Quality, Environment and Health and Safety Managers as well as all the trades covered by the Apprenticeships (see below). Apprenticeships are critical in ensuring that the high level of construction skills and the quality of the skilled construction workforce is maintained.
Apprenticeships are available in the following trades:
Taking up an apprenticeship means that you will alternate between site based work training and college over a period of four years to become a qualified crafts person. An added benefit is that during all this time while you are training, you will be paid - even during the time you spend in college.
It takes time to acquire these skills and it is important that the level of apprenticeships within the construction sector is maintained in order to ensure that the industry retains competitiveness and effectiveness.
There will also be a significant requirement for new technical training courses for construction sector workers. This will ensure that the construction workforce is highly skilled, mobile and able to adapt to the changing economic conditions whilst ensuring that output isn’t affected.
The CIF Education, Training and Skills committee continue to support school leavers in several areas:
