Women make up just 11 per cent of Ireland's construction workforce, says CIF

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The federation made the case at its International Women's Day Summit in Co Meath on Friday 6 March, where it highlighted career pathways for women through STEM subjects and construction-related apprenticeships. The event drew more than 600 attendees.

Andrew Brownlee, federation chief executive said the scale of the challenge facing the sector made workforce diversification an economic as much as a social imperative. "We can't afford, economically or socially, to draw from only half the population," he said. "The challenge is too big, and the opportunity to attract and retain the best talent to our industry is too important."

Brownlee says the sector's ongoing digitalisation has widened the range of roles available, with opportunities in sustainability, off-site manufacturing, planning, finance and design alongside traditional on-site trades. Women currently make up nearly 10 per cent of apprentices in Ireland, a figure the CIF points to as evidence of incremental progress.

A live-streamed Q&A chaired by Katelyn Cummins, the reigning Rose of Tralee and an apprentice electrician, connected a panel of graduate apprentices with students at a Co Kildare school participating in the CIF-supported STEM Passport for Inclusion programme.