The construction industry on both sides of the Irish border is confronting the same fundamental challenge: the pipeline of work is growing faster than the pipeline of people. Writing in agendaNi in September 2026, Barry Neilson, Chief Executive of CITB NI, sets out a structured response grounded in the Construction Workforce Outlook 2026 to 2030. With output forecast to grow at 1.9% per year on average and 5,200 additional workers needed by 2030, the skills imperative is both urgent and full of opportunity.

The CITB NI analysis is a compelling read for any construction sector board. Northern Ireland’s construction industry is entering a period of sustained expansion, and the workforce challenge is a structural condition requiring sustained institutional response. Three dimensions define the strategic opportunity: the scale of the labour requirement, the particular growth trajectory of the private non-housing sector, and the proven range of training interventions already available to firms that choose to invest.

The demand data is precise. The Construction Workforce Outlook projects that the Northern Ireland construction workforce will reach 73,100 by 2030, requiring approximately 1,040 net new workers recruited and trained each year. The private non-housing sector is forecast to be the fastest-growing segment, expanding at an average of 5.1% per year, with particular demand concentrated in leadership, coordination and delivery roles. These are mid-career and senior capability shortfalls requiring a strategic rather than reactive hiring approach.

The parallel in the Republic is equally pointed. Property Industry Ireland has identified a need for between 95,000 and 110,000 additional workers by 2030 to meet the government’s 300,000 homes target, with a retirement wave expected to remove approximately 20% of the current workforce within a decade. Ireland commenced 18,974 new homes in the first seven months of 2026 alone, a 152% year-on-year increase, generating sustained demand for skilled tradespeople that the existing construction workforce pipeline cannot yet match.

CITB NI’s response is practical and immediately accessible. A £2.2 million training grant scheme provides direct funding support to construction companies across a wide range of roles, with claims available online. Programmes including Build Your Career, Construction Bootcamps, the Adopt a School initiative and the Construction Ambassador network are repositioning the sector as modern and full of opportunity. Skills academies developed with employers improve job readiness by aligning practical learning with real workforce needs.

The construction industry on both sides of the Irish border has earned its current pipeline. The task now is to build the workforce that can deliver it at scale. Organisations that invest in training, engage with available grant support, partner with education providers and commit to structured workforce development will be best positioned to lead the sector through its most consequential decade of growth.