Electric.ie Issue 39 May-June

ELECTRIC.IE • The Magazine & Website for the Irish Electrical Industry • 51 Industry News CIF welcomes rules that allow skilled construction workers into the industry This will see an increase in the number of skilled workers eligible for employment in Ireland’s construction sector. Š‡ ‡™…Šƒ‰‡• –‘ –Š‡ ‡’Ž‘›‡– ’‡”‹–• •›•–‡ ‹…Ž—†‡ –Š‡ ”‡‘˜ƒŽ ‘ˆ…‡”–ƒ‹ ‘……—’ƒ–‹‘• ˆ”‘ –Š‡ ‹‡Ž‹‰‹„Ž‡ Ž‹•–ǡ ‹…Ž—†‹‰ ‡••‡–‹ƒŽ …‘•–”—…–‹‘ –”ƒ†‡• •—…Š ƒ• •Š‡‡– ‡–ƒŽ ™‘”‡”•ǡ ’‹’‡Ƥ––‡”• ƒ† •…ƒơ‘Ž†‡”•Ǥ Tom Parlon, CIF Director General said: “The construction sector has been growing since 2013 at a rate of 1000 people a month. We are experience skills shortages in particular areas that are essential to the delivery of housing and infrastructure. The CIF has engaged with SOLAS and Education Training Boards to upskill those on the live register and bring them back into the industry. We have also attempted to attract members of the Diaspora „ƒ… –‘ ™‘” Š‡”‡ ƒ† ƤƒŽŽ›ǡ ™‡ ƒ”‡ working with schools to encourage more young people into the industry in the medium term. The measures announced today will allow us to meet the pent-up demand for construction activity across Ireland. We are approaching near full employment in Ireland and there is still huge demand for labour in order to deliver the Government’s Rebuilding Ireland housing strategy and its National Development Plan. This will allow the entry of construction specialists fromoutside the EU and enable them to seek work in Ireland and to have access to a work permit. The Irish construction ‹†—•–”› ‘™ ‘ơ‡”• ‡š…‡ŽŽ‡–…ƒ”‡‡” prospects and a sectoral employment order that means companies pay good wages and conditions for every worker in Ireland. We welcome today’s announcement of the changes to the criteria to work permit eligibility and believe that this will allow the Irish economy to grow and meet the NDP targets.”