Seven roles and routes into the work
Start with the work you want to learn. A craft apprenticeship leads to a defined qualification. An operative role is recruited for a particular job, with training matched to its tasks.
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Role | Work and entry route | Duration / award |
|---|---|---|
| Groundworker | Ground preparation, excavations and drainage. Recruited as an operative with task training. Machine work such as a mini-digger needs a CSCS card. | Employer and task specific |
| Carpenter / joiner | Timber structures, roofs, doors and joinery. Employer-sponsored craft apprenticeship. | Minimum 4 years; Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft |
| Electrician | Wiring, installation, testing and fault finding. Employer-sponsored craft apprenticeship. | Minimum 4 years; Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft |
| Plumber | Water, heating and piping systems. Employer-sponsored craft apprenticeship. | Minimum 4 years; Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft |
| Plasterer | Internal and external finishes, dry lining and decorative work. Employer-sponsored craft apprenticeship. | Minimum 4 years; Level 6 Advanced Certificate Craft |
| Paving operative | Bases, levels, kerbs and surface installation. Recruited as an operative or trainee; ask which qualification, if any, the employer's training leads to. | Role-specific |
| Landscaper / horticulturist | Planting, garden maintenance or hard landscaping. One formal route is the Teagasc horticulturist apprenticeship, which has a landscaping stream. | 2 years; Higher Certificate in Horticulture (QQI, NFQ Level 6) |
Which trades are in demand
SOLAS publishes the National Skills Bulletin each October. The 2025 edition lists carpenters as a shortage occupation and plumbers and electricians as potential future shortages. It flags no shortage for bricklayers and plasterers.
Apprenticeship intake shows how many people train each year. In 2024 there were 3,074 new electrical registrations, 832 in plumbing and 771 in carpentry and joinery. Plastering has stayed near 30 a year since 2022, so vacancies are fewer than in the larger trades.
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Trade | SOLAS finding | New apprentice registrations, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrician | Potential future skills shortage | 3,074 |
| Plumber | Potential future skills shortage | 832 |
| Carpenter / joiner | Skills shortage | 771 |
| Bricklayer | No shortage flagged | 78 (brick and stone laying) |
| Plasterer | No shortage flagged | About 30 a year since 2022 |
| Construction operatives, including groundworkers and scaffolders | Inconclusive: employment numbers too small | 48 (scaffolding) |
About 40% of electricians work in construction. Another 40% work in industry or ICT, so demand comes from several sectors. The bulletin expects modern methods of construction, which move work into factories, to reduce long-term demand for carpenters, plasterers and bricklayers.
Safe Pass: the first site-safety step
Safe Pass is a one-day health and safety awareness programme. All construction workers in Ireland need it, apprentices and trainees included. The card is valid for four years.
A SOLAS-approved tutor sets the course fee, so it varies by provider. If you have a construction job offer but need the card before starting, your local Intreo centre may be able to help with the fee.
To renew, retake the course or sit the alternative computer test: 45 minutes, 50 multiple-choice questions, 45 correct answers to pass. The test costs EUR 93.84 including the new card. A replacement card costs EUR 32.
The card is the starting point. The employer still gives a site induction and instruction for the work you will do.
When you also need CSCS
CSCS covers specified safety-critical tasks, including scaffolding, excavators and mini-diggers, dumpers, cranes, slinging and signalling, roof and wall cladding, and locating underground services. Safe Pass alone does not qualify you for these.
The scheme has eight occupational categories and each has its own card. A new entrant in plant operation gets a card valid for two years, which gives time to build the six months of experience needed for the Experienced Operator course. The Experienced Operator card is valid for five years. Renewal or replacement costs EUR 32 per card.
Approved training organisations set the course fees. Social welfare recipients and medical card holders can apply for a waiver of the QQI certification fee. For a groundworks vacancy, check which equipment the job involves and ask which card the employer expects.
What the construction pay floor covers
From 1 August 2026 the minimum hourly rate under the construction Sectoral Employment Order is EUR 23.74 for a craftsperson and EUR 17.28 for a new entrant operative. A new entrant is over 18, new to the sector and in the first two years. Skilled general operatives with more than two years in the sector are Category B, at EUR 21.37. The order also sets overtime, a 39-hour week, pension contributions and sick pay. The pay guide has the full tables.
The WRC gives bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, painters, floor layers, glaziers, tilers and slaters as examples of craftspersons. Electricians and plumbers are not among those examples. For those trades, ask the employer which agreement or contract sets your pay. Collective agreements appear on the Labour Court register.
Paving and landscaping
Paving is operative work. A typical start is a groundworks or paving trainee role with an employer who trains on site. Get Safe Pass first, and add a CSCS card if the job includes a mini-digger or dumper. If the employer is covered by the construction order, a first-time entrant over 18 has a minimum of EUR 17.28 an hour for two years. Ask the employer whether the order applies to their work.
Landscaping has a formal route. The Teagasc horticulturist apprenticeship lasts two years and leads to a Higher Certificate in Horticulture at NFQ Level 6. Its landscaping stream adds hard landscaping in year 2. You must be employed full time by a SOLAS-approved employer in a horticultural setting. Entry is by Leaving Certificate (five subjects including English and maths), a Level 5 horticulture certificate, or age 17 or over with 48 weeks of horticultural experience and an employer recommendation. Apprentices earn as they learn, and Teagasc sets no rate, so agree it with the employer.
Trained abroad, or arriving from outside the EU
SOLAS recognises construction qualifications gained outside Ireland. EU and non-EU applicants both start with its recognition unit at rpq@solas.ie. Non-EU applicants send a detailed CV, employer references confirming their experience, a copy of any operator card or licence, and their certificates. SOLAS reviews each application individually.
A work permit is a separate step. Eligibility and salary thresholds depend on the permit type and change over time, so check the Department of Enterprise before accepting an offer. The SOLAS bulletin reports permits issued in 2024 for carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers and plasterers.
Build an application around the role
For an apprenticeship, prepare your school results or evidence of an alternative entry route, then approach approved employers recruiting in the trade. The apprenticeship guide explains the age and education routes.
For an operative role, make your CV specific: tasks completed, equipment used, cards held and expiry dates. Say which tasks you still need to learn. Before accepting, get the hourly rate, normal hours, overtime, site locations, travel arrangements and training plan in writing. Covered workers have set overtime rates, listed in the pay guide.
Key points
Choose a trade or operative role first. Match the training and site cards to its duties, check what SOLAS says about demand, then compare the pay category that applies and the full written offer.
Sources and review
Training routes, demand data and construction rates reviewed on 25 October 2026. The pay figures apply from 1 August 2026.
A local view of practical skills
To see examples of the services involved in paving and outdoor work, explore our Dublin partner businesses. These are service references, not vacancy listings.
