With more than 173,000 people employed in the construction industry in 2024 – an increase from 161,000 in 2023 – it’s clear that there’s a lot of demand for staff. There’s such a demand – and a shortage of qualified people – that wages have increased by 11 per cent over the past year. It’s a thriving sector, but what sort of career paths can it offer?
There is huge demand for skilled workers in areas such as residential, commercial, infrastructure, renewable energy and data-centre projects, says Ferdia White, head of construction, Sigmar Recruitment Consultants.
“We are seeing a lack of movement of employees in certain areas,” says White. “This may be due to employees feeling secure in their role with a degree of flexibility, and hesitant to move in case their new job doesn’t offer this. This, coupled with the lack of available skilled staff, is creating talent shortages in the industry which many companies are trying to navigate. This has a knock-on effect and staff retention is becoming more important in the sector.”
The construction jobs market is experiencing significant skills shortages, both on-site and off-site, says Nora Surya, head of international recruitment at Hunter Marshall.
“High demand for infrastructure projects, housing and commercial developments has tremendously outpaced the available talent pool,” she says. “Additionally, key skill gaps are emerging in new areas such as building information modelling (BIM) in 3D and 4D, data analysis, quantity surveying, IoT engineering, digital twins and specialised design roles in HVAC [heating, ventilation, air conditioning] and electrical systems.”
Moreover, with sustainability taking centre stage, expertise in green building practices, renewable energy integration and carbon-neutral construction methods is also in high demand, says Surya.
“So, employers are increasingly turning to international talent and remote work solutions to bridge these gaps, particularly for roles that can be handled off-site, such as project planning, cost estimation and digital modelling.”
There’s no denying the fact that artificial intelligence (AI) is the powerful catalyst that is thoroughly transforming construction recruitment, says Surya: “For tender analysis, there are predictive algorithms to meticulously analyse historical tenders and use the data to make the tendering process much more efficient and accurate.
“Construction firms have adopted AI to analyse trends, predict labour shortages and optimise staffing strategies. Additionally, AI can assess past tenders, identify winning patterns, and thereby provide key insights on cost estimation, AI-driven risk assessments and drone-based site monitoring. This in turn helps firms get a competitive edge.”
The digital transformation of the construction industry has opened up a variety of new career opportunities in construction, including data analysts who use AI to analyse past projects and improve bidding strategies, risk assessment and cost control; BIM and digital twin specialists, who work on 3D/4D modelling and simulation to optimise construction processes; and remote project managers able to oversee project budgets, timelines and logistics from anywhere in the world, says Surya.
“With companies increasingly turning to cloud-based collaboration platforms and AI-driven decision making, the potential for off-site careers in construction is expanding at full throttle.”
There are lots of opportunities for women in Ireland’s construction market, particularly in areas such as engineering, design and project management, says White. “In order to close the current skills gap, we need to ensure that we have a more gender balanced industry.
“A key part of this is to remove both actual and perceived barriers to entry to the construction industry. The industry is really putting a spotlight on it and we have seen great initiatives like Women in Construction Ireland group and the Women in Construction Awards which help to promote gender diversity in the industry. More women are stepping into leadership roles in construction companies and they act as inspiration for females currently in the industry.”
The construction industry is evolving rapidly due to technological advancements, sustainability goals and labour shortages. Over the next few years, Surya and her company anticipate increased adoption of AI and automation.
“From predictive analytics for project planning to AI-driven risk assessment, technology will undoubtedly redefine efficiency in construction and will take the centre stage,” she says. “AI and digital twins are revolutionising complex construction design and planning.
“We foresee growth in remote roles as firms are having to utilise global talent pools for off-site roles, addressing the present shortage of human resources; the need for skilled staff will drive more firms to recruit talent from outside the jurisdiction.”
