Two major recruitment initiatives have been launched to attract workers to the construction and retail sectors of the economy, which are both experiencing severe labour shortages.
In the construction sector the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, has announced a programme to "match workers to vacancies" by setting up liaison structures between the Construction Industry Federation, FAS and his Department. About 15,000 people on the Live Register are listed as construction workers, and the plan is to locate them and offer them jobs wherever possible.
Registered unemployment for the sector has been halved since 1993. The figure of 15,000 still looking for work does not accord with the difficulties builders are experiencing in finding recruits, according to the CIF chief executive, Mr Liam Kelleher. He says that employment grew by 8.3 per cent last year, bringing total numbers to about 105,000. The industry had to place recruitment advertisements abroad, he said. "But we're looking for people in Ireland as the first choice in filling vacancies, and when people list themselves as unemployed building workers we are keen to contact them."
Mr Ahern said the initiative was in line with the Government's action programme to explore every opportunity to eliminate unemployment. A pilot programme is being set up in the west and the first meeting will take place between officials of Mr Ahern's Department, FAS and CIF representatives in Galway on Monday. A spokeswoman for Mr Ahern said there was no question of forcing people into jobs. Some people registered as unemployed building workers, particularly older workers, might be eligible for disability payments, or it might be possible to advise them on appropriate educational or back-to-work programmes.
The other initiative launched yesterday was a career information campaign by the Irish Hardware Association (IHA). This is being directed at secondary schools and third-level colleges.
The IHA says there will be 1,300 new jobs in the sector this year, and there are 1,000 existing vacancies waiting to be filled. Companies supplying the trade had an additional 300 vacancies.
The president of the IHA, Mr Pat Byrne, said the greatest recruitment difficulties were in rural towns "where the traditional sources of post-Leaving Certificate students and technical school graduates have dried up".