Mr. Andrew Brownlee:

It is a massive opportunity and it is one of the things I was thinking of proposing as the one idea to move forward. The Cathaoirleach is right and the modern and future construction careers do not need to involve being outside all day on a site. We are talking about different environments and ones that can appeal equally to females as well as to males. There are big opportunities to get many more young people interested in careers in construction.

One of the big things we have been working on is developing offerings in partnership with our education and training boards, ETBs, as part of transition year.

Limerick and Clare ETB, for example, has developed offerings for the hospitality sector, Kerry ETB has developed offerings around construction, and Longford Westmeath ETB is developing an offering around advanced manufacturing. There is a big opportunity to develop TY tasters - modules that can be offered initially in transition year but, over time, we need to look at reform of the senior cycle so they can be offered as integrated credited modules which can give people their first step into a career in construction. There is a big opportunity in that.

One of the big milestones we saw in recent years was getting further education and training and apprenticeship options on the landing page of the CAO website. When people are having conversations with their families around the dinner table or with their peers, guidance counsellors or teachers at school, all of the options will be on the table at the same time. An apprenticeship is a great option. As was said, a career in construction is a great option. It will become an even more appealing option because the type of work that can be done in the sector will only broaden and become more interesting and exciting.

We are already doing stuff. The TY bit is easy because people want to fill their TY with lots of different work and education experiences. In a way we have an open door there. The tough nut to crack as part of senior cycle reform is trying to build vocational and technical options and pathways as an integrated part of our senior cycle or leaving certificate examination. People will then start to take it more seriously and give us the numbers we need to see coming through in the talent pipeline.