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IRISH CONSTRUCTION WORKERS living abroad are to be encouraged to come home and help build homes.
Higher Education Minister Simon Harris is rolling out an outreach campaign to workers in cities such as London, New York and Sydney, telling people working in construction that there are well-paid jobs available in Ireland.
The campaign will use advertising targeted at people working in construction overseas.
“We want to send a message abroad, we want to send a message to the Irish people who may have left because there weren’t jobs in construction in the past, there weren’t jobs when the economy crashed, that Ireland is a very different place now, that Ireland needs you to come home, Ireland needs you to help us build homes,” said Harris.
If you wish to come home, there are jobs here, well-paid, reliable jobs, and huge access to skills and education and training at a level not seen before.
“We need your help. So the purpose of this campaign is to spread the word to Irish people abroad, that if you’re working in construction, there’s huge opportunities here in Ireland and so please consider coming home and helping out,” he added.
A report recently commissioned by his department showed that Ireland will need 50,000 more people to work in construction in the next decade.
To reach those sorts of numbers, the minister said there is a need to come at it from all angles.
He said the government is promoting careers in construction in schools.
A recent report called “Careers in Construction” showed that while guidance counsellors were actively giving information about careers in the construction sector, there was still more of a focus on promoting academia to students.
While the numbers signing up for apprenticeships has increased, there is still a concern at government level at the limited promotion construction industry and trade apprenticeships are receiving at secondary school.
The minister said there were also concerns that parents have conveyed in terms of there being uncertainty with a career in construction.
“We’re getting the facts out there, we saw more people register as apprentices than ever before,” he added.
The minister made the comments ahead of a trip to Washington DC and Boston, where he will meet with educational and political leaders.
Harris is accompanied on the trip by representatives from Ireland’s higher education institutions and science agency.
“We will use this opportunity to embed the strong bonds our two counties share but also how we can expand them to benefit both our economies and societies,” he added.
Speaking about the outreach plan to construction workers, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said today that the number of trade apprentices has grown exponentially in the last two to three years.
He added that Ireland is the only country in Europe that has registered an expansion of construction, stating that the government is looking to expand the construction sector workforce.
Labour Senator Marie Sherlock has hit out against the new announcement by the minister stating that the reality is that many apprentices are forced to leave their training due to financial struggles.
“Let’s not forget that Minister Harris announced last year his intention to seek significant increases in wages for apprenticeships. Yet, where has that promise gone? It’s shocking that the apprentice year one rate is a mere €7.17 an hour, and year two is just €10.75 an hour.
“How can anyone live on such a low rate in today’s economy? This government must prioritise the well-being of our apprentices and ensure that they are compensated fairly for their invaluable contributions to our society,” she said.
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Good article. I do a sexual health schools programme.I think sexual orientation is also important , if raised by parents, it may significantly reduce the difficulties for LGBT children
This sort of thing should be left to the local curate or parish priest
Totally agree on sexual orientation. My son is 5 and knows that boys can love and marry boys if they like and girls with girls.
My sexual orientation is portrait
Don’t mention it….they’ll get upset
They will also bugger you for free
Perhaps alongside sex ed and sexual health, contraception etc, specifically boys should be taught in school about family law and lack of parental rights because of their gender, that way if it ever goes wrong for them they know to expect nothing in terms of support or services to help them cope. At least they’d be prepared and more cautious both emotionally and financially going into relationships. It might also help to include the fact aswell as being potential perpetrators, that they may be at risk of being a victim of partner abuse and that this may go unnoticed and be scoffed at from all corners of society and again to expect next to nothing in services and supports.
Peace for all ……… That was a very good comment
Just give them this article to read… Conversation avoided!!!!
The importance of deodorant?
“Boy, 12, collapses and dies after spraying too much Lynx deodorant”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3489942/Boy-12-collapses-and-dies-after-spraying-too-much-Lynx-deodorant.html
In my opnion, 2 very important subjects are missing – contraception & safe sex
Ask “your” mother.
Anyways. I can’t see in this day and age why it’s so hard to have that conversation. It’s not like sex is a taboo subject anymore. Just be factual. Don’t try and he’d anything and don’t hide your own embarrassment by being funny about any part of it.
I’m 27 nearly 28, have no kids or none that I know of ;) but I’d never tell me child if it was a lad “you know it’s ok when your older to date and marry boys”, not in a million years
All gay people have straight parents….
Well Shane, if you were a parent and a good one, you would wish only health and happiness for your child, whatever path they choose.
I have two girls,with my partner/girlfriend.They are fostered.Parents are biological entities that do not always equate with mum and dad.
Nothing about health and happiness Joanne! Why discuss with a CHILD about been gay! there own course of action will be takin and hopefully they will be straight
Its a good job u don’t have any kids then isn’t it you massive muppet!! (or none that you know of Haha ur so funny u sti riddled rodent ) !!
Your newest follower on twitter…..
“And hopefully they will be straight” – ???
For your own sake Shane, do not have any children, they may only disappoint you and you them!
So what about children that are adopted by gay parents?
Lol don’t respond to fake profiles in a serious manner
Cowenwatch
Yes like most parents would hope their child when older fancies the opposite sex
tell them they are gay, that way they will go straight to p you off
Shane I don’t have any children myself yet. But if and when I do, I can only hope to God they’re in good health and happy no matter who they are.
Do you know there are five different genders in the world, not just male and female? Once a person is born, the hospital, especially Western hospitals, decide what gender the child will be. So possibly, you could look like a man and have all the man bits, yet feel like a woman all you life and, by extension, fancy men. Then again, you could be just a man and gay. You wont know this but peoples’ gender is socially constructed and society changes with time so don’t believe everything you think you know is set in stone – it isn’t!
Ah don’t start going into that codswobble! if and when I have children, I will never yes never have a discussion with them saying it’s ok to be gay! As I said they will live their own course of life and hopefully be straight! If not obviously I’ll have to deal with it some way
Oh dear. Well good luck with the future so.
What’s very strange is talking to a CHILD about been a gay when they wouldn’t have a clue at that age! What I just said to you in my previous message is what most would do, not tell a child “listen tommy you no it’s ok when ur older if u fancy men”! God that sounds so wrong even typing it
Not true Phil Prendergast. Many gay people have straight or gay kids.
Shane, it’s ‘being’ gay not ‘been’ gay. Dont have kids.
I don’t take any notice of spelling police online! A word misspelt or bit of txt speak doesn’t bother me in the slightest!
Could they not have BI parents too??
Ah Phil you have NO chance against the good old lads chat behind the bike shed at break time.THATS where you learn the facts of life in an Irish school.brendan Graces version.
“Wha happens Bottler?” ” Yer Mickey goes all hard .” An wha then?”Ye stick it inside her.” “Wha happens if you dont like cider?”
Here’s a question for you Shane. Do you think people are born homophobic or do they pick it up as they grow up?
What I find amazing is Phil Prendergast gives sexual health programs in schools, yet comes across as a bit of a homophobe herself. No offence Phil and maybe I am wrong, but that’s a weird one.
Straight answer, havnt a clue! I just hope my kids will be ok! If they end up that way there will be rules in my hous tho
Not sure who red thumbed you there but the simple answer is: No one is born a homophobe, society breeds it into them, much like racism.
Ironically, if your interested, it was the English Government who first made homosexuality illegal to get back at Oscar Wilde! Two gentlemen going for a stroll in Hyde park arm in arm was normal before then. Wilde had to leave London after that. I think he ended up living rough on the Parisian streets when he said “We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars”.
Anywho, good look with your point of view and go easy on the kids – remember it is society which dictates to us how we should live and the most flawed of conditions is the human one. Peace out!
What’s wrong with hoping your kids are straight?
Absolutely nothing
I just tell my son to always wear a johnny
Just in Casey
I think that parents also need to educate themselves about these topics before going to talk to their children.
Just tell your kids the truth, make sure they know they can come to you and talk or ask questions
When my missus and I gave our eldest sex ed, we told him that some men fancy men or women and some women fancy men or women and in some cases men and women fancied both genders. He didnt bat an eyelid. We told him this was all normal. Just dont lie.
Ask you’re mother
You’re = you are
My previous comment was for Phil Prendergrast
One conversation where its better to say nothing. Its bad enough that young people have to put up with the shame of seeing their parents dancing
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