Constructionjobs.ie Top 10 November Construction Jobs

The Constructionjobs.ie November Top 10 Construction Jobs Table sees Construction Manager leap to the top spot from fifth place as a result of the number of applications made in the month.
While Construction Project Manager and Construction Civil Engineer hold the the same positions as the previous chart, applications bubbling under just outside the Top 10 include Construction Planners, Construction Engineers, Construction CAD, and Design Architects and Electrical Engineers.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Constructionjobs.ie Top 10 Jobs for November

1. Construction Manager
2. Construction Project Manager
3. Construction Civil Engineer
4. Construction Quantity Surveyor/QS
5. Construction Health & Safety Manager
6. Construction Site Engineer
7. Construction Electrical Engineer
8. Construction Foreperson
9. Construction Contracts Manager
10. Construction Site Manager

Click here to find the top construction professional jobs.

constructionjobs.ie flys high on global market

Global construction recruitment activity jumps on Constructionjobs.ie in September

In September 2008, constructionjobs.ie passed another landmark when 52 per cent of all job applications through our site were for construction professional jobs outside of Ireland.

Construction professional job opportunities in the Middle East now accounts for 50 per cent of global activity on the website. Our latest applications figures show a meteoric rise in the number of applications for construction professional jobs in Gulf States such as the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

During September of an overall total of 10,893 job applications, 5,686 applications (52%) were for jobs outside of Ireland, while 5,207 (48%) were for construction jobs in Ireland.

Of the 5,686 overseas applications, 2,843 (50%) job applications were for construction professional jobs in the Middle East region. This is a meteoric figure, when you consider that only 54 applications were made for Middle East construction professional jobs in February last.

A further breakdown of the overall figure also indicates a high number of applicants seeking construction professional job opportunities in the UK and construction professional job opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. The UK accounted for 25 per cent of overseas construction job applications, while the region of Australia and New Zealand has 15% of overseas construction job applications.

While applications for construction professional jobs in Ireland totalled 5,207 (48%) in September, the 52 per cent level of activity in the global construction professional recruitment arena means that we have developed with jobseekers and recruiters to meet the changing needs of the global construction professional recruitment market.

Overall, there were 34,500 unique visitors to constructionjobs.ie in September. Of which Ireland accounted for 70%,
Rest of the World 19% and
The UK 10%.

Who's recruiting
On the recruiter front the main performers on the site have been Irish recruitment agencies diversifying to deliver construction job opportunities in the Middle East and Australia/New Zealand, as well as construction professional jobs in Canada and USA. However a growing number of international recruiting clients are also choosing constructionjobs.ie to attract an Irish construction professionals for positions in their regions of operation.


Top 10 September Construction Jobs

Our September Top 10 Construction Professional Jobs Table indicates a mass of movement of Construction Health & Safety Professionals and Construction Project Managers to meet the the growing number of jobs in these areas.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Constructionjobs.ie Top 10 Jobs for September

1. Construction : Health & Safety
2. Construction : Project Management
3. Construction : Civil Engineering
4. Construction : Quantity Surveying / QS
5. Construction : Construction Management
6. Construction : Site Engineering
7. Construction : Foreperson
8. Construction : Electrical Engineering
9. Construction : Contracts Management
10. Construction : Site Management

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Qatar's mega growth ambition

According to The New York Times the Arabic emirate of Qatar will be the next Dubai. Its capital, Doha, has a population of 400,000 people and, according to the Qatar Tourism Authority, more than 100 buildings, including hotel towers, business centres and holiday resorts will cover the cities skyline in the coming years.

With a population of less than a million people Qatar has a construction market with a value of €70 billion. And when you include construction activity in the oil and gas sectors you can add a further €38.5 billion to the figure, bringing the overall market value to €108.5 billion.
Qatar’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita is the largest of all the Arabic States (IMF). And with no income tax, Qatar is also one of the two least-taxed sovereign states in the world, Bahrain being the other.

In terms of getting projects to site, Qatar's government and construction industry are no slouches. The state has the best record of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) in getting developments to site, with over one third of the currently planned €70billion worth of construction projects started construction, and the balance at design or construction stage.

Spearheading Qatar’s plans to divert away from a reliance on fossil fuels in the coming years will be its financial and leisure industries. Qatar will need to raise the capacity of its financial services to meet the requirements for more than $130billion worth of projects in the coming years, if it is meet its lofty ambitions. The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) is in fact expected to provide financial services providers with access to nearly $1trillion of investment across the GCC as a whole over the next decade.

When compared to other Arab states, Qatar has relatively liberal laws. However, it still has some way to go to match its neighbouring states, UAE or Bahrain.

Mega Project
The largest project ever undertaken in Qatar is the new City of Lusail. It is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by 2011. A coastal development, in the northern part of the municipality of Umm Salal, Lusail is 15km north of Doha City centre and is located on over 35-sq km of land. When completed, it will have accommodation for 200,000 people. The development will include residential areas, commercial districts, island resorts, marinas, leisure facilities (including two golf courses and an entertainment district) and luxury shopping.

Lusail is being built in phases with the whole project due for completion in 2011. It is being developed by the state controlled developer Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment.

Another Qatar mega projects is The Pearl, a $2.5billion, 985-acre artificial island comprising five-star hotels and two-million square feet of high-end shopping. Work will begin on the first phase of The Pearl in 2009, Other projects include the Sharq Village & Spa, along the beachfront and the IM Pei designed modernist Museum of Islamic Arts.

Find the latest construction jobs in Qatar and the Gulf States

Sharjah – Industrial and cultural hub of the UAE

Sharjah is the third largest emirate of the United Arab Emirates. With an area of 2,600 sq km, it is similar in size to Ireland’s County Limerick, and it has a population of 800,000 people. It also has land on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

The cultural capital of the UAE, Sharjah accounts for approximately 7.5 per cent of the UAE's GDP. Although it may be lagging behind Abu Dhabi and Dubai in terms of development activity, Sharjah does have development ambitions.

During the 90’s and early 2000’s Sharjah’s main focus was on industrial development: It now accounts for 48 per cent of the UAE's entire industrial output. It has 11 industrial zones across 26 sq km, linking the UAE's main transport arteries: the north-south Emirates Road, and the east-west highway to Khorfakkan and Fujairah. Sharjah International Airport is also the region's largest airfreight cargo handler.

Further development of Sharjah as an industrial and logistics hub can be expected in the coming years with a recent $130m investment in its road network resulting in the expansion of the important regional artery, the King Abdulaziz Road.

Sharjah's most ambitious development scheme will see the creation of a $5bn retreat for those working in the nearby Dubai City.

The Nujoom Islands, when completed, will comprise a number of tall, mixed-use towers as well as villas, hotels and retail, all linked by a network of ‘swimming canals’ and bridges. Expected to accommodate 80,000 residents and tourists, work on the Nujoom Islands resort started last year.

But before you start thinking of an Amsterdam in the emirates, Sharjah is the most conservative emirate in the UAE. The sale, possession and consumption of alcohol are banned, and there is a conservative dress code for men and women.

Find the latest construction professional jobs in Sharjah, UAE and the Middle East

Touching Down in Abu Dhabi

Yas Island



In response to J from Tip's comment below, Declan Scully writes:

Yes, I did work on the project in question in Ireland.

In relation to working in Dubai, I am strictly based in Abu Dhabi which is about 1 hour away from there. It is a great country to work in, the life style is good and I have no complaints.

Work visa’s, getting set up, accommodation etc were handled by the agency, MCR Personnel and my present employer, Higgs & Hill, so I had no worries there.

Comment:

I am interested in working in Dubai.
Did you ever work in a site office in Stradbally Co. Laois, for a company from Waterford?

J from Tip.



Original blog posted 18 June 2008

Working in Abu Dhabi

Quantity Surveyor, guest blogger and Carlow native Declan Scully gives his first impressions of Abu Dhabi

Four months ago I was sitting in an office in Ireland worrying about what the future held. With the rate of decline in the Irish construction market, I felt I had little control over whether I would have a job at all in the months ahead. This evening I write this after returning from a day’s work at the Yas Island racetrack in Abu Dhabi, which will host the 2009 Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

In April I came across an advert for a job in Abu Dhabi and applied to construction recruitment firm MCR Personnel. Within weeks my future employer, Higgs & Hill – a major international construction management firm –, interviewed me at a Dublin Airport hotel.

When I accepted the job, Higgs & Hill and MCR Personnel handled visa, accommodation, flights and everything else for me. I had very little do apart from give my notice.

It’s just over two months now since I arrived in Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and I am working as a QS with Higgs & Hill.

I usually work 8AM to 7PM, five or six days a week – not dissimilar to home. However being part of what is happening over here is incredibly exciting. It really has to be seen to be believed.

In the workplace there is great respect from the employer and between work colleagues. I believe this is one of the reasons why things get done. And, believe me, things get done!

Our site, like many others, works 24/7. The pace is incredible. The Yas Racetrack is a 12-month build. At home I can only imagine that a similar project would take nearly five years to complete.

As for the lifestyle! We work hard! But that is not to say we don’t enjoy ourselves. People make you feel right at home here. This is probably a good thing because 90 per cent of the residents are non-nationals. This great cultural mix adds to the excitement of the place. And, of course, anything I might want at home is also easily available here.

To any anyone who is toying with the idea of working over here, all I can say is give it a go. I don’t think you will be disappointed! Abu Dhabi is the most exciting place in the world where any construction professional could be at this point in time.

Construction job opportunities in the Middle East

The recent visit to Dublin of Khajeh Daloui, the Iranian government's deputy head of housing and construction, is another in a series of high profile initiatives aimed at attracting Irish contractors and construction professionals to take up construction jobs in the Middle East.

The fact that CIF's Director General Tom Parlon was also on hand to support the Iranian minister shows how important the Middle Eastern market is becoming to Irish building contractors looking to export their expertise.

In April Enterprise Ireland hosted the “Construction Opportunities in the Gulf States” seminar in Dublin where delegates heard high profile speakers from UAE and Saudi Arabia make presentations on construction product and services opportunities in the Middle East.

The Middle East now accounts for 30 per cent of all recruitment activity the goes through constructionjobs.ie. Construction professionals who have already taken up positions with firms in the region are finding themselves playing a key role in some of the world’s most exciting development schemes.

Construction Job Opportunities Scotland

Scottish Construction Outlook 2008 – 2011
Scotland may not be the first place that people think of when they are considering migrating to find construction work. However with a solid output in social housing and a number of key infrastructure projects in planning it might be worth considering.

Overview
The latest figures available for construction activity in Scotland (2006) show a breakdown across four sectors as:

• Repair and Maintenance Work 44%
• Commercial 18%
• Private 15%
• Public non-residential 9%

The key geographic centres of construction activity are:

• The central belt of Glasgow and Edinburgh and their surrounding areas
• Aberdeen which provides land support for North Sea oil rigs

Numbers employed
In 2005 there were around 17,100 construction companies in Scotland employing 137,900 people. This accounts for about six per cent of all Scottish jobs. In addition an estimated 49,000 were operating in a self-employed capacity.
The average wage in 2005 was £487pw, 13 per cent higher than the average across Scotland.
Average employment growth from 2007-2011 is predicted to be eight percent. This sets the requirement for new construction recruits at 6,830 for each year. This figure is inclusive of

• 1,450 new employees a year for wood trades and interior fit-outs and
• 810 new construction professionals and technical staff.

Projected annual construction jobs vacancies to 2011
Wood Trades and Interior Fit-outs 1,450
Electrical trades and Installations 670
Painters and Decorators 400
Bricklayers 370
Plumbing and WAC Trades 290


Hot Jobs
At present there are a number of key job candidates in high demand in Scotland.
Most sought job candidates

• Construction Professionals and Technical Staff
• Construction Managers
• Business Process Managers
• Civil Engineering Operatives
• Plant Operatives
• Specialist Building Operatives
• Wood Trades and Interior Fit-outs
• Electrical Trades and Installation
• Painters and Decorators
• Bricklayers
• Plumbing and WAC Trades
• Roofers

Future prospects
Infrastructure is predicted to grow by 6.2 per cent annually over the coming years. Much of this will be derived from the Scottish government’s planned £3 billion investment programme in road, tram and rail projects.
Good growth in public housing output is also forecast until 2009.


Sources
Scottish Enterprise, Future Skills Scotland, Construction Skills Network Model 2006: Experian, Blueprint for UK Construction Skills 2007-2011

Minister’s Gaffe increases pressure on Irish Government to deliver NDP

CIF Director General, Tom Parlon chats to Irish Environment Minister John Gormley and CIF President, Hank Fogarty at the FIEC conference in Dublin Castle


Judging by the commentary in newspapers over the weekend Stephen Staunton can relax, as there is a new ‘Gaffer’ in town. Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan’s somewhat undiplomatic proclamation that the Irish economy has come to a “shuddering stop” was greeted with unease by the delegates gathered for the FIEC European Construction Conference held in Dublin last weekend.

Addressing the conference in Dublin Castle, Construction Industry Federation (CIF) president Hank Fogarty argued that reducing infrastructure spending would be a very negative reaction. He said: “Across Europe the best solution has been to invest in infrastructure and planning to ensure future economic success.”

There is growing pressure on the Irish Government to deliver creative solutions in maintaining momentum on the €184bn National Development Plan (NDP) as opposed slamming the till shut. With the levels of employment in the Irish Construction industry still very high, it will be difficult to re-establish some level of momentum once overall market conditions improve if cutbacks in spending is the only solution the Government can present.

Hank Fogarty also challenged the Irish and other European governments to lead by example in the drive to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment.

He said: “There are a range of issues that should be used by the government to help bring about more reductions in our energy consumption. The most recent report from Sustainable Energy Ireland added to the record price for crude oil, should serve as a wake up call to all sectors of the economy with regard to tackling climate change. With the introduction of new building energy regulations from 1 July, which set out improvements in energy efficiencies of new residential buildings, there is an ideal opportunity for the Government to lead by example in the battle on energy usage. The Government, through Local Authorities, State Agencies and Government Departments has the largest property folio in the country and there is a ready-made opportunity for them to lead by example with regard to energy saving initiatives. By spearheading a programme aimed at the stock of exiting buildings the Government can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve our environment in the most efficient and cost effective way possible.”

Also speaking at the conference CIF director general Tom Parlon said that house building needed to return to a sustainable level of about 50,000 new homes a year saying “house building is a big contributor to the exchequer and these revenues would dry up if the industry stalls.” He said that trick was to get to a sustainable level of production that will keep people employed.

Touching Down in Abu Dhabi

This is the most exciting place in the world where any construction professional could be at this point in time




Yas Island



Quantity Surveyor, guest blogger and Carlow native Declan Scully gives his first impressions of Abu Dhabi

Four months ago I was sitting in an office in Ireland worrying about what the future held. With the rate of decline in the Irish construction market, I felt I had little control over whether I would have a job at all in the months ahead. This evening I write this after returning from a day’s work at the Yas Island racetrack in Abu Dhabi, which will host the 2009 Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

In April I came across an advert for a job in Abu Dhabi and applied to construction recruitment firm MCR Personnel. Within weeks my future employer, Higgs & Hill – a major international construction management firm –, interviewed me at a Dublin Airport hotel. When I accepted the job, Higgs & Hill and MCR Personnel handled visa, accommodation, flights and everything else for me. I had very little do apart from give my notice.

It’s just over two months now since I arrived in Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and I am working as a QS with Higgs & Hill.

I usually work 8AM to 7PM, five or six days a week – not dissimilar to home. However being part of what is happening over here is incredibly exciting. It really has to be seen to be believed.

In the workplace there is great respect from the employer and between work colleagues. I believe this is one of the reasons why things get done. And, believe me, things get done!

Our site, like many others, works 24/7. The pace is incredible. The Yas Racetrack is a 12-month build. At home I can only imagine that a similar project would take nearly five years to complete.

As for the lifestyle! We work hard! But that is not to say we don’t enjoy ourselves. People make you feel right at home here. This is probably a good thing because 90 per cent of the residents are non-nationals. This great cultural mix adds to the excitement of the place. And, of course, anything I might want at home is also easily available here.

To any anyone who is toying with the idea of working over here, all I can say is give it a go. I don’t think you will be disappointed! Abu Dhabi is the most exciting place in the world where any construction professional could be at this point in time.

International recruiters compete for construction workers in Dublin

Depending on what statistic you read, anywhere between four and 17 per cent of migrants who came to Ireland in search of work after the Accession States joined the EU in May, 2004, have left the country in the past year.

On 13 and 14 June, FAS hosted a ‘European Construction Jobs Fair’ at its offices in D’Olier Street, Dublin. In attendance were employment advisers from Government agencies in the United Kingdom, Poland, Belgium, Netherlands, Sweden, Slovakia, Norway and Denmark, each advising construction workers on the numerous employment and career development options available within the construction sector throughout Europe.

There were also two recruitment agencies in attendance offering construction jobs in the UK, construction jobs in Netherlands and construction jobs in Poland to name a few places.

Competition to attract construction recruits was great with a number of stands offering flights and accommodation to the right job candidate.

A representative on the Polish stand told constructionjobs.ie that they expect to see a marked increase in construction activity in Poland next year when work begins on stadia for the European Championships 2012. This they say will kick start a construction boom in the country, which will result in huge investment in the development of road and rail infrastructure, hotel construction and residential development.

An advisor from the Scottish jobs agency said there were considerable construction job opportunities in residential development in Aberdeen – a vital support to the North Sea oil industry. She said there were also huge construction job opportunities in Edinburgh, particularly with the ongoing development of the new Edinburgh tramway system on track (Excuse the pun).

The FAS offices in which the event was held were packed to capacity with majority of stands targeting tradesmen and skilled labour. But there was also big demand for engineers. I will be publishing updates on opportunities in individual countries over the coming weeks.

Construction job opportunities in Dubai

They use ice cubes to work the concrete

Guest blogger and architectural photographer Gerry O Leary writes about the first time he set foot in Dubai

It is exactly one year now since I first set foot in Dubai, I had heard all the talk and reasons as to why I should visit and how much work I would get there etc. So I just went. Eight hours of Aer Lingus (who no longer fly to Dubai) later, I arrived in Dubai International Airport and was struck by its enormous size. Protected from the elements by the ever-running air conditioning, it really hit me that I was in Dubai when I was greeted by the wall of ‘oven-like’ searing heat on exiting the airport. The taxi driver assured me that 36 (at this ungodly hour of 3am) was not really hot saying, “it reaches 50 in July & August”

Next morning as I walked Sheikh Zayed Road (the Champs Élysées of Dubai) and so impressed was I that my chin was on the pavement at the sheer size and design of the numerous towers that delineated the street, one more impressive than the next. I took the day to look around the city with the assistance of a local resident. The place is rather disjointed with a number of what I called sub-cities such as The Marina, Burj Dubai, Bur Dubai (Oldtown) Jumeirah and Deira to name but some.

I had heard that one quarter of the world’s construction tower cranes were in Dubai; I had my doubts about this. But to my amazement, in every direction I turned the skyline was spiked with cranes too numerous to count. The entire city is one huge construction site. It just had to be seen to be believed. It is just phenomenal!

They work round the clock too, usually pouring concrete at night, to avoid concrete setting in the mixers during the hot daylight hours. One engineer in Dubai told me they use ice cubes of various size in the mix instead of water to prolong the workable time of the concrete – an ingenious idea.

I went to Dubai not just to have a look and be amazed but also to seek international assignments photographing beautiful architecture. As with any business venture I did my market research and came up with a target audience. I was aiming high and looked for the top tier of architects. I had the right product to sell and once I got passed the bureaucracy of the first few levels of marketers and assistants I got quality assignments.

Now I travel to Dubai for approximately one week per month (except for July and August) and photograph their most iconic buildings. It is dream territory for me, great weather, fabulous buildings and the money is not bad either!

To view Gerry's unique architectural images visit his website http://www.gerryoleary.com/

Visit our Middle East construction jobs page to find the latest construction jobs and engineering jobs in Dubai.

Government moves to counter UK construction skills gap

The UK Government is planning a major move in conjunction with the UK construction industry and engineering sector to tackle the country's widening construction skills gap.

According to The Guardian newspaper, British Innovation Minister John Denham is to launch a fund to tackle serious skills shortages in a number of industries including the UK construction sector.

He will hold talks with employers in June to discuss how government and industry can prevent major skills gaps in finance, construction, engineering, IT and science up to 2014. He says Britain needs to train nearly two million workers in these industries to remain competitiveness on a global scale.

Denham plans to earmark specific training funds for these industries and has also allocated £200m in capital spending over the next three years to support specialist facilities for training.
UK Government research indicates that, between 2004 and 2014, an estimated 650,000 construction workers , 300,000 science and engineering workers and 500,000 IT workers will be required.

Denham said there would be a wave of demand for skilled construction workers and engineers to build nuclear power stations and green power generators. Construction workers and engineers are also essential for the construction of homes and to deliver big UK infrastructure projects such as Crossrail, and for new colleges and schools.

Energy industry leaders have warned the government that a lack of skilled engineers and project managers could jeopardise the building of a new generation of nuclear power stations since many workers were trained as the previous ones were built and are coming up to retirement.

Construction jobs opportunities in the Gulf States

View of Dubai from the Burj Tower – The world's tallest building

On Wednesday, 30 April constructionjobs.ie was in attendance at the Construction Opportunities in the Gulf States seminar, hosted in Dublin by Enterprise Ireland.

The one-day seminar briefed Enterprise Ireland clients on construction product and services opportunities in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

Speakers at the event included Jim Mongey, Enterprise Ireland Regional Manager Middle East & North Africa; Sheikh Nasser Mohamad H Almutawa Alotaibi, chairman of Samama Group of Companies (5th largest company in Saudi and Gulf Cooperation Council in terms of manpower) and Tom Barry, General Manager of Arabtec Construction (UAE's leading construction firm). There was also a presentation by the Saudi Binladen Group.

The seminar attracted representatives from a number of leading Irish contracting and construction materials firms.

At present the combined Gulf States have an estimated spend of $2 trillion on construction activities, with every new project out-scaling previous ones in ambition. The conference was told this level of activity was set to continue until at least 2030. From a jobs perspective, there is great interest in recruiting experienced construction professionals such as contracts and project managers, all engineers, architects and quantity surveyors to the region. But the list of required professions grows month on month. A quick browse through constructionjobs.ie Middle Eastern job opportunities will give an idea of the scope of construction professional job opportunities that exist.

Speakers at the conference encouraged Irish companies to visit the region to get a feel for the types of projects that are underway.

Constructionjobs.ie advises that construction professionals looking for construction job opportunities in the region should be researching European companies who have developed a presence in the Gulf region. A good place to start this research would be on constructionjobs.ie Middle East construction jobs page. From here you will be able to identify constructionjobs.ie contracting clients and construction jobs.ie recruitment agency clients that are already operating in the Gulf States.

For any contractor or materials supplier that wants to develop opportunities, visiting the market, accessing projects and building local credibility and contacts will be crucial to success as will building relationships and trust with local companies. Enterprise Ireland advises that above all, having a local presence on the ground will be essential to drive forward with potential projects in the future.

From an opportunities perspective the seminar presented a list of key services that could be filled by Irish companies. The list, as you see, is endless. But we have attempted to simplify it.

Key construction jobs opportunities in the Gulf States identified:

• Contracting
• Building supplies
• Consulting
• Project management
• Traded services
• Sustainability and Environment
• Energy conservation
• Water use and reuse - Desalination
• Health and Safety

For construction professionals considering a move to the Gulf region constructionjobs.ie advises one of the key criteria to being successful in applying for positions is to "Assess the scope of your own expertise and identify whether or not this expertise is available in the local market you are targeting." If not, great opportunities and premium salary packages may be on offer for the right job candidate.

Job opportunities in Education roll-out

One building sub sector that struggled to keep up during the property boom of the past few years was the Education. Listening to Ministerial announcements you might have believed that year on year there was a massive roll out of new schools. But disproportionate fund allocation, poorly planned infrastructure in Rapid Population Growth areas and inflated land prices combined to hinder those charged with delivering schools in achieving their goals.
With the slowdown in Irish residential output this year and probably next year, the Department of Education and Science (DES) Planning and Building Unit has been afforded the opportunity to catch up.

In 2008 €600m of Exchequer funding will be spent on school development, with 200 projects ranging from new school buildings to roof repairs planned for completion before year's end. Another 350 projects are scheduled to start between now and early next year. The works will be carried out primarily in the Eastern Region of Ireland (Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Louth) in areas of Rapid Population Growth, where it will take at least two to three years to meet the school requirements for the current level of new housing stock. Parts of Cork, Galway and Limerick have also been highlighted as areas that will experience large-scale Education infrastructure development in the next 18 months.

In 2005 the Irish Government announced a plan to provide 23 new post-primary schools and four primary schools as bundle projects through Public Private Partnership from 2006 to 2009. Plans are now at an advanced stage on three of these bundles. The first – a bundle of four schools (Two in Laois, two in Offaly) – will be built by the Macquarie Partnership for Ireland (MPFI), a consortium that includes Pierse Contracting. Work is expected to start on these in early summer. Another scheme is scheduled to begin later this year with the other penciled in for early 2009. Further projects are planned for 2009.

From a construction jobs perspective, this is all good news. School building presents an opportunity for those looking to migrate from residential development to a sector that requires similar skills.

The DES Planning and Building Unit says that the slowdown in housing has had the effect of making tenders and land prices more cost effective. In this scenario, once funding can be maintained, Education roll out should provide sustainable construction job opportunities for a wide variety of construction trades people and construction professionals in the coming years.

Public Contracts Opportunity

In a radio report last week one Irish union representative suggested the Government should bring forward more public contracts in the National Development Plan (NDP) in an effort to replace job losses in the housing sector, even if this means borrowing heavily.
However with the Irish civil engineering sector performing so well in recent times, the Government should be looking at the feasibility of bringing forward more NDP projects to take full advantage of the unprecedented output abilities of Irish civil engineers at this point in time.

Because of the huge housing output of the past few years, infrastructure such as schools, healthcare and water treatment are now playing catch up. While there will be many construction job opportunities in these areas in the coming years a golden opportunity is being lost at the moment because projects aren't coming through the system quickly enough.

The Irish Government stumbled earlier this year when it announced that there would be delays in getting a number of high profile Transport 21 Plan projects to site. Coincidently, there is a Transport 21 billboard campaign running at the moment, which highlights the Irish Government's €34bn investment in road and rail infrastructure as part of the €184bn budgeted National Development Plan 2007 - 2013.

While there is no shortage of activity in the civils sector, when you consider the productivity of those in civils jobs over the past two years you would have to say never before have Irish civil engineering firms been better placed to handle more work. They regularly deliver major roads projects below budget and ahead of schedule and many in the sector believe there is capacity for even greater output.

Last year, former CECA (Civil Engineering Contractors Association) president John Craddock said that while he was delighted with the success of the sector to date, he believed that Irish civil engineering contractors and their construction teams were capable of handling even more projects. It is just a matter of those projects coming on line.

So maybe it is time to revisit the NDP roll out schedule before the opportunity is lost.

Record PPP starts in 2008 can deliver construction jobs boost

So it's bye bye, Bertie, hello, Brian! It can be a daunting task to understand Minister speak in any country. In Ireland one strategically placed, or misplaced, phrase can have a myriad of meanings. And Bertie was a master of the political soundbyte, in many instances more by accident than intention. Over the years of the many quotes that baffled the nation, one that he will never be let forget was his 2004 comment on conspiracies, “There are kebabs plotting against us”.

But now it is time to close the Bertie speak book and open a new one for Taoiseach in waiting, Brian Cowen, who famously referred to the Department of Health as “Angola” during his tenure there. Known for not holding back, we can expect the Offaly TD to at least entertain during his jousts with opposition leaders.

With recent falling Exchequer income in Ireland Irish ministers have been going to great lengths to carefully phrase the Government’s commitment to the National Development Plan 2007 – 2013 (NDP). Transport Minister Noel Dempsey said if there are to be cutbacks the NDP will the last area to suffer. If this is the case the NDP will be a major source of construction jobs over the next five years, with infrastructure roll out and public contracts being the backbone of the Irish construction industry.

One method that has been very effective in delivering timely public works is the Public Private Partnership Programme (PPP). PPPs are schemes where the private sector takes responsibility for the design, construction, financing and operation of an asset for a set period of time. The private sector is typically not paid until the asset is operational and performing to the contracted standard.

Since 2003 in Ireland a total of 73 PPP projects have been completed, started or are in planning. Projects operating under the PPP mechanic include roads, rail, schools, health, prisons, wastewater management and social housing.

Of the 73 projects in the system, to date 13 have been completed and as of March 08 of the remaining 67 projects, 14 are currently under construction.

If all goes to plan, according to the latest report (March 2008) from the Irish Government’s Central PPP Policy Unit (www.ppp.gov.ie), 2008 will be a record year for PPP schemes getting off the ground. It is planned that a large majority of the remaining projects will go to tender or start on site. The goal is to start construction on a record 28 schemes before the end of the year. A further eight projects are scheduled to go to construction during 2009. Because of the scale of these projects – many of the planned projects having indicative values of €250m plus – it can be expected that demand for construction professionals in Ireland will continue to be strong over the coming 18months.

Of the 28 schemes scheduled to go on site this year, projects of interest include a bundle of three new motorway service areas (Indicative value €50m - €€100) and a bundle of three decentalized Government offices in Portlaise, Mullingar and Carlow (Indicative value €100– €250m).

In the summer the relocation of Mountjoy Prison to Thornton Hall in North Dublin is expected to get under way. The contract was awarded to a consortium that includes Michael McNamara & Co and Barclays Bank. It has an indicative value of €250m plus.

The majority of project starts planned for this year will be carried out under the Department of Environment, Housing and Local Government (DEHLG). Projects ranging from housing to waste and wastewater management are scheduled to begin construction. These include the controversial Dublin Waste to Energy scheme (Indicative value €100 – €250m), scheduled for a summer start. Indicative values on DEHLG projects start at about €10m and rise to €250m for a number of the social housing projects.

So on the basis of the Government’s PPP ambitions for this year and with a further eight projects to go on site next year, several billion euros will be pumped into the Irish economy over the coming years through PPP, with completion dates spreading from 2009 to 2013.