Key points for selected construction professional and associate professional occupations
- There were approximately 19,000 persons employed in the selected construction professional and associate professional occupations, accounting for 1% of total national employment
- Over four fifths of overall employment was at professional level; the remainder was at associate professional/technician level
- Employment in the selected occupations was concentrated in professional scientific and technical activities (accounting for just over 60% ― mostly in architectural and engineering activities); public administration and defence (15%), construction and industry (9% each)
- Overall employment in these occupations contracted by 9% on average annually over the period 2007-2011; there were approximately 8,700 net job losses ― approximately 87% was at professional level ― mostly for architects (3,200) and civil/mining engineers (2,800)
- Between 2010 and 2011, overall employment in the selected occupations contracted by 12.5%, translating into 2,700 net job losses; with the exception of construction related technicians for which employment remained relatively unchanged (in absolute terms) in that one-year period, employment of all occupations contracted
- The majority of persons employed in construction professional and associate professional occupations held third level qualifications
- Just over four fifths of overall employment in both construction professional and associate professional occupations was concentrated in the 25-54 age cohort
- At 10% and below, the share of non-Irish nationals represented in the employment stock of each occupation was below the national average of 12.4%
- With the exception of architects and town planners, the workforce of all occupations was predominantly male
Shortage Indicators
There are currently no shortages of construction professionals and associate professionals. Job opportunities are likely to be confined to construction projects in social infrastructure (e.g. new schools), energy (e.g. repair and maintenance of traditional energy infrastructure, renewables infrastructure (e.g. wind, tide) etc. and commercial building required to facilitate the expansion of other sectors, primarily IT and pharmaceuticals (e.g. Amgen, Eli Lily, Microsoft, HP, etc.).
Recent job announcements were in the renewable energy sector (Wind Energy Direct), manufacturing (Intel‘s new factory) and services (M7 motorway service facilities).
Some job creation is expected in the green sector in the areas of energy generation, transmission and efficiency, waste management and water supply and treatment. |
