CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYERS FEDERATION THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY
Skills imbalance under the spotlight CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY ADDRESSES ITS FUTURE SKILLS...
T he construction industry also an important contributor to job creation and long-term productivity. The industry, however, faces many significant challenges. Construction Industry Futures – a company established and jointly owned by the Construction Employers Federation and the trade plays a key role in the region’s economic development. It is unions Unite and GMB – plans to address one of those challenges: the future skills’ needs of the industry. Recent construction skills publications for Northern Ireland have shown greater demand for skilled professionals, with a particular emphasis on specialised trades (office-based, wood and electrical) and ‘green careers’ that use innovative technologies. Following the well-received launch of the Construction Industry Futures Skills Review in July 2023 at an MLA-sponsored event and a subsequent review of the six most impactful interventions outlined in the report, both employer and
employee representatives recognised the importance of appointing a dedicated resource to work on this industry-wide plan. Starting in November 2023, Fionnuala McKenna leads the development of the Construction Skills Forum for Northern Ireland, along with other engagement strategies within the sector.
Fionnuala McKenna spearheads the development of the Construction Skills Forum for Northern Ireland.
Fionnuala, a qualified Civil Engineer, brings extensive
potentially offer partial funding for construction skills initiatives. These efforts, in collaboration with other strategic partners, seek to champion the sector as an appealing career choice and enhance the working conditions for those involved. With a more targeted approach, Construction Industry Futures aims to redress the skills imbalance, attract new talent and foster lifelong learning, to help support the growth of Northern Ireland’s construction industry. The full Industry Skills Review is available to download at www.cefni.co.uk
experience in both on-site and pre-construction projects with Farrans and Geda Construction. Having also worked as a teacher in secondary education, her diverse background aims to facilitate collaboration and attract fresh talent to the construction industry. The Construction Skills Forum plans to create a shared space, facilitating greater engagement between the education sector, employers, employees, training providers and other key stakeholders. Its objective is to engage, encourage and
#safetyreboot2024 focuses on collaboration
The CEF health and safety initiative, Safety Reboot, returns in January 2024 with a focus on collaboration. As usual, the month-long programme aims to encourage construction companies to stop work for about 15 minutes weekly to focus on key areas of health and safety. However, this year the CEF health and safety committee has partnered with a number of organisations to shine a light on mental health and workplace transport safety. Existing Safety Reboot mental
health resources have been amended to include references to the Lighthouse Club and the Building Mental Health Alliance. The resources on mobile plant and equipment have also been updated to highlight HSENI’s workplace transport safety initiative #drivedangerout. CEF urges companies to support Safety Reboot and get as many staff and sub-contractors as possible engaged with these key topics and others like working at height and asbestos, throughout January.
Social media posts highlighting your involvement should be shared through the hashtag #safetyreboot2024
#SafetyReboot2024
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