The Northern Ireland government has launched its own skills academy in a bid to beat the shortage of civil engineers.
The new Civil Engineering Skills Academy will target school leavers to fill 48 places to become trainee civil engineering assistants.
The academy was created by the Department for Infrastructure as part of a cross-government initiative to increase capacity in surveying, construction, traffic management, and health and safety.
The announcement was in recognition of the loss of experience due to austerity cuts and the shutdown of Stormont due to a political crisis that halted critical decisions on infrastructure projects.
The new recruits will quickly find themselves in demand, in light of a backlog of work that includes road schemes, a Belfast transport hub and housing.
A 2024-28 forecast by market-insights provider Construction Skills Network, published in May, predicted a growth in work in Northern Ireland of 2.8 per cent, driven by infrastructure and repair work.
Its analysis concluded that demand would really start picking up in 2025.
But it also warned that fulfilling demand would mean that Northern Ireland’s 63,910-strong construction and infrastructure workforce would have to increase. It projected a rise in demand for civil engineers of 5.4 per cent between now and 2028.
It warned: “For the industry to meet expected demand in the nation, the forecast shows that recruitment would have to increase by the equivalent of 1,040 workers per year.
“This is important to understand because there are still construction vacancies in Northern Ireland that need to be filled in 2024.”
Economy minister Conor Murphy said: “Developing the local skills base is a key element of my economic vision.
“This is a fantastic opportunity with the Department for Infrastructure for individuals to develop new skills and to help them secure employment in good jobs.
“This academy offers eligible individuals the opportunity to learn the skills necessary for a successful career in the civil service, with no previous experience needed.”
