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 Netherlands

The Netherlands Population: 16.5 million approx.

In general the construction industry in The Netherlands has been performing reasonably well during 2008.

Like many other countries, the house-building sector has not experienced as much growth as in previous years. However 80,000 new houses are still expected to be built during 2008.

The construction maintenance sector is the most important construction market in The Netherlands. It has been experiencing an impressive continuous annual growth rate of about 3.5 per cent in recent years. This strong performance is evident from the below Top 10 Construction Vacancies in The Netherlands, as published by PES (Public Employment Service).

The commercial and industrial construction sector is expected to experience two percent growth during 2008. However after 2008 a decline, partly because of high costs in labour and rising material costs, is expected.

Finally, the rail, roads and waterways construction sector is expected to continue to grow, if at a slower pace than previous years, up to 2010.

While there are construction vacancies across The Netherlands, most construction vacancies in The Netherlands are to be found in the western part of the country in the provinces of North Holland and South Holland, where the key cities of The Hague, Rotterdam and Amsterdam are located.

Citizens from EU/EEA Member States do not need a residence permit in order to be allowed to work in the Netherlands. An agreement exists between most EU States and European Economic Area (EEA) to allow for the free movement of money, goods, services and persons.

In order to work in The Netherlands you need a Citizen Service Number (Burger Servicenummer or, in short, BSN). With this number you are registered for the tax and social security system.



Top 10 Construction Vacancies in the Netherlands for June 2008

Vacancies registered by PES Number of vacancies

1 Carpenters/Joiners 403
2 Painters 384
3 Plumbers/Pipe Fitters 264
4 Bricklayers/Stonemasons 197
5 Electrical Mechanics /Fitters 167
6 Building Frame And Related Trades Workers 161
7 Roads, Dams Constructions labourers 94
8 Building and related Electricians 89
9 Earth-Moving/ Related Plant Operators 87
10 Agricultural/ Industrial-Machinery Mechanics 81


For the latest construction jobs in Mainland Europe visit the constructionjobs.ie Mainland Europe Construction Vacancies page

Construction job opportunities in Poland

Poland population : 38.7 million approx.

For those considering a move to Poland, 2009 is expected to be a year when the fortunes of the construction industry continue to improve. With the Euro 2012 soccer championship on the horizon Poland says it can provide the extra stadia required should Ukraine be unable to meet their development deadlines. However building soccer stadia is not all that the construction industry in Poland is about.

In Poland construction companies expect a number of large-scale investment to begin in earnest by the end of this year or the beginning of 2009.
At the moment the key area of investment in Poland is road building and other associated civils works.

In 2008 the Polish construction industry has been experiencing a high level of development activity. However the figures for this year are down slightly on the figures for the same period last year.

From a recruitment perspective there is particular demand for a range of construction professionals, trades and experienced construction workers.

The most sought after construction personnel are

• Civil engineers
• Joiners
• Construction and maintenance road labourers
• Bricklayers,
• Stonemasons,
• Concrete placers,
• Concrete finishers and related workers
• Welders and flame cutters

Any EU citizen may reside in Poland for up to three months without registering. If an EU citizen remains in the territory for more than three months they are required register their residence.

Working hours in Poland cannot exceed eight hours per day and average 40 hours in a five day week. During a calendar year an employee may work a maximum of 150 overtime hours.

Mozliwosci pracy w sektorze budowlanym w Polsce.

Liczba ludnosci: 38.7 mln

Dla tych, ktorzy zamierzaja wyjechac do Polski- rok 2009 moze okazac sie usmiechem losu, gdyz oczekiwany jest tam dalszy rozwoj przemyslu budowlanego.
W zwiazku z organizacja Mistrzostw Europy w pilce noznej w 2012 roku, Polska bedzie w stanie zapewnic dodatkowe stadiony gdyby Ukraina nie zdazy_a z przygotowaniami na swoim terenie. Jednak rozwoj budownictwa w Polsce to nie tylko budowa obiektow sportowych zwiazanych z Mistrzostwami Europy.
Firmy budowlane spodziewaja sie licznych inwestycji na duza skale juz w tym lub na poczatku przyszlego roku. W chwili obecnej kluczowa role odgrywaja budowa drog oraz inne inwestycje publiczne.
W roku 2008 polskie budownictwo odnotowa_o spory rozwoj, jednak wskazniki z tego roku sa minimalne nizsze niz z odpowiadajacego okresu w roku ubieglym.

Z punktu widzenia zatrudnienia, szczegolnie poszukiwani sa specjalisci i robotnicy budowlani. Na zatrudnienie liczyc moga glownie:
Inzynierowie budownictwa
Stolarze
Pracownicy budowy i utrzymania drog
Murarze
Kamieniarze
Betoniarze
Tynkarze
Spawacze

Kazdy obywatel Unii Europejskiej moze przebywac na terenie Polski do trzech miesiecy bez obowiazku rejestracyjnego. Przekroczenie tego okresu wymaga zgloszenia pobytu.

W Polsce obowiazuje 8- godzinny dzien pracy, srednio 40 godzin w 5- dniowym tygodniu pracy. W ciagu roku kalendarzowego pracownik moze przepracowac maksymalnie 150 godzin nadliczbowych.

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.

Belgium: Construction trade and skilled labour jobs

The Lotto Sports Arena, Antwerp, a 7,500 capacity sport and concert venue built in 2007




Ageing workforce presents recruitment challenge

Belgium is divided in to three regions:

The Dutch speaking region of Flanders or Flemish region in the north;

The French speaking southern region of Wallonia in the south and;

Brussels, the capital region, in the centre, which is predominantly French speaking

Unemployment rates vary considerably between the regions. Brussels was 19% at the end of May, 2007, Wallonia 13% and Flanders only 5.6%. Flanders accounts for about 60 % of the Belgian economy and 60 per cent of the Belgian construction industry.

Employment challenge
Due to an ageing population, particularly in Flanders, a major challenge for the Flemish construction sector is that of replacing workforce. 46% of the construction workforce is now 40 years and older.
Nationally the Belgian construction industry needs an annual skilled workforce intake of about 17,000 new workers to replace those who leave each year. In the next few years, this will increase as a larger number move towards retirement than ever was the case in the past.

Bottleneck vacancies
VDAB is the Flanders public employment service, and each year it compiles a list of ‘Bottleneck’ vacancies. Bottleneck vacancies take longer to fill than average. Because of serious skills shortages pretty much every vacancies in the Belgian construction industry is considered such.
At the moment from a trades perspective in terms of Bottleneck vacancies carpentry and furniture making are the hardest posts to fill. This is followed by stonemasons and finally maintenance people.

Top 10 Most Difficult Belgian Construction Vacancies to Fill

• 1. Carpenters/furniture makers (2,456)
• 2.Masons (1,566)
• 3.Building maintenance people (1,040)
  
• 4.Painters/interior decorators (822)
  
• 5. Roofers (789)
  
• 6. Plasterers (586)
  
• 7. Civil engineers (485)
  
• 8. Industrial painters (416)
  
• 9. Pavers (411)
  
• 10. Formworkers (410)

A few shortages are of a qualitative nature and due to a lack of competences or specific technical skills. This is particularly so in the case of building maintenance personnel, painters and formworkers. But the main reason for most Bottleneck vacancies is a shortage of candidates. There are just too few candidates available on the Belgian labour market.


Belgian Construction Outlook
Over the past two years Belgium has experienced a small decrease in activity in the residential construction market, particularly in Flanders. Non residential building activities have taken over as the motor of the construction industry in Belgium.
Key areas of development include the construction of new industrial sites, logistic and commercial centres, offices and hospitals. It is anticipated that this will continue for some time.

Over the coming years the Belgian government will undertake a number of ambitious investment programmes which will result in the construction of new schools, infrastructure and social housing. The majority of this construction work will be carried out in the Flanders region.

Sources: VDAB (Flemish Public Employment Service), Belgian Confederation of Construction Enterprises, EURES (EU job mobility association),

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.