The inclusion of civil engineers and mechanical and electrical engineers with BIM capabilities in the critical skills list of occupations has been welcomed by Engineers Ireland.
The addition of civil, mechanical and electrical engineers with BIM capabilities to the critical skills list by Minister Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, will allow overseas workers to qualify for a Critical Skills Employment Permit and will facilitate the entry of appropriately skilled non-EEA workers to fill shortages.
'Delivering on the ambitions outlined in Project Ireland 2040'
“Today’s announcement by Minister Humphreys is a very welcome step as we look to increase the supply of civil engineers and mechanical and electrical engineers with BIM capabilities to meet Ireland’s current and future needs, including realising and competitively delivering on the ambitions outlined in Project Ireland 2040,” said Caroline Spillane, director general of Engineers Ireland.
“Engineers are critical to Irish society, environment and economy and over the past three years, Engineers Ireland has been actively engaging and advocating with the minister’s department on the skills shortage and the necessity of having suitably qualified engineers available to operate at a professional level within the sector.
"We have also worked with our members and our partners to find solutions to this critical skills shortage in the engineering sector.”
Findings within Engineers Ireland’s recently published Engineering 2019 report highlighted the strong demand for engineering talent in Ireland, with 94 per cent of the engineering employers surveyed agreeing that the shortage of engineers with the right skills is their main barrier to business growth.
Highly sought after
Civil and building engineers are highly sought after with 59 per cent of Irish based organisations surveyed for the report looking to hire these engineers in 2019. The report also found that the 55 per cent decrease in civil and building engineering graduates over the period of 2012-2017 was ‘a particular cause of concern’.
The announcement by Minister Humphreys on changes to the employment permits system also coincided with Global Day of the Engineer – a worldwide event that celebrates and recognises engineers.
To access the Engineering 2019 report in full, visit
www.engineersireland.ie