Construction Professional Occupations

Key points for selected construction professional and associate professional occupations

• There were approximately 29,000 persons employed in the selected professional and associate professional construction occupations, representing 1.5% of national employment.
  
• Employment was primarily concentrated in two sectors: construction and professional, scientific and technical activities — accounting for 20% and 58% respectively.
  
• While growing strongly up to 2008, employment in all of these occupations contracted between 2008 and 2009.
  
• With the exception of building, mining and other surveyors, employment in these occupations contracted between 2008 and 2009 with 6,300 net job losses; architects and town planners and quantity surveyors experienced the most pronounced negative employment growth.
  
• With the exception of building managers, the majority of persons employed in construction professional and associate professional occupations held a third level qualification.
  
• Employment in most occupations was concentrated in the 25-54 age cohort; approximately one fifth of building, mining and other surveyors and civil engineering technicians were aged 55 and over.
  
• Approximately one fifth of building, mining and other surveyors was non-Irish, which exceeds the national average of 13.5% and is the highest share among the selected occupations.
  
• At 70% and over, the workforce of each of the selected occupations was predominantly male.
  
• Just under one third of employed architectural and civil engineering technicians was in part time employment.

Shortage Indicators

As a result of the sharp contraction in construction activities, there are currently no shortages of professional construction skills in Ireland. Job creation in the recovery is expected to be concentrated in the following construction-related areas:

• Infrastructure for the generation and transmission of energy (including renewables); recent investment announcements include those by Endesa and Eirgrid. 
  
• Energy efficiency (e.g. retro-fitting; compliance with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and improved energy efficiency standards under Part L of the Building Regulations).
  
• Site assessment.
  
• Water supply and water treatment.
  
• Management and treatment of waste.
  
• Construction of ‘alternative’ waste treatment plants.
  
• Export of new building materials and processes.