Engineering companies from across Ireland are urging dynamic and ambitious students to consider the exciting possibilities a career in building engineering now offers ahead of the CAO deadline in February.

The call comes as Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) launches a new campaign to encourage students to consider building engineering, with the Institute estimating that there are now as many as ten jobs available to every graduate of the course.

The need for building engineering graduates has resulted in big industry players, such as Jones Engineering, SIRUS, Haughton and Young, Designer Group, Ethos, Varmings, Axis, Dornans, OCSC, Metec, Homan O’Brien, Cundall and Partners as well as the Association of Construction Engineers of Ireland (ACEI) partnering with DIT to support a recruitment and advertising drive to highlight the extremely promising and sustainable career opportunities that exist in the area for motivated students.  DIT is the only Level 8-accredited course provider in this discipline in Ireland.

Buildings consume almost half of our national energy and we spend 90% of our time in buildings[1].  Together with architects, building engineers are responsible for designing energy-efficient environments that contribute positively to people’s health and well-being.

With the first CAO application closing-date on February 1^st and the online facility to amend course choices available from February 5^th, Ciara Ahern, Head of Building Engineering at DIT, highlighted the immense potential for career development in the area, pointing out that the discipline isn’t very well understood, but that it is now at the vanguard of a new engineering revolution that is key to meeting global climate change targets.

“Building engineers are the highest paid engineers in the construction sector earning a starting salary that is typically €5,000 more than other graduates.  Graduates often express surprise that they are immediately put to work on high-end prestigious projects on graduation.  We pride ourselves on producing work-ready graduates that require very little further training and are thus of value to companies immediately.  This means our graduates get a jump-start, climbing the career ladder rapidly.  Within a very short timeframe graduates of this discipline are able to command very healthy salaries, such is the demand for their skills.” Ahern said.

Jim Curley, Group Chief Executive at Jones Engineering Group, said: “DIT is an innovator in the building engineering discipline and we are delighted to be supporting the Institute’s campaign.  There is a shortage of graduates with the building engineering skills needed by industry.  These graduates are required amongst other things to support large-scale, high-end projects in all facets of building engineering. Opportunities abound not just at home but overseas for these graduates.”

Ciara Ahern added: “The economic downturn in Ireland, combined with other related demographic factors and trends, has required the building sector to evolve and adapt hugely in recent years.  Irish firms have proved themselves very agile and while new-builds might not be happening in one part of the world, they are in another.  Combined with a digital revolution in the design of buildings, it is a very exciting time to be involved in the construction industry.”

“With industry now crying out for graduates with building engineering skills to support economic growth, there are now ten job opportunities available for every graduate.  Our new building engineering campaign is very much focused on bringing attention to the exciting and rewarding career opportunities that are now available to ambitious, capable students, who want to make a positive and real impact in our society.”

“Whilst traditionally a career in engineering is not a first choice for young women, I would like to encourage girls to think about this discipline.  Building engineers help design and influence the spaces we occupy, and women bring a much-needed perspective that we, as a society, need more of,” said Ahern.

In a recent survey of almost 1,700 employers and employees by recruitment firm Hays Ireland, building engineers were in the top-three roles most sought after by employers for 2018.

It is expected that job opportunities in the low-carbon economy are also set to increase from 9 million to 20 million by 2030, which in practice could present a doubling of the workforce.  The transformation of the market will lead to new developments in the field. This will increase the need for energy-research organisations and businesses to find the skilled human resources needed and will put greater emphasis on the related education and training sectors [2].

For further information on the DIT Building Services Engineering course and the career possibilities it offers, visit http://www.dit.ie/buildingengineering