The Irish Government has marked the graduation of 1,000 participants from the Dublin Construction Skills Project.

The project which is delivered through a partnership between St Andrews Resource Centre and National Construction Training Campus, aims to help the long-term unemployed gain skills and employment in the construction industry.

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris, congratulated the 1,000th graduate from the project, he said that it is "an outstanding achievement that 1,000 candidates have completed the project since its inception in 2017".

In a statement Mr Harris said:

"With an average of 60% gaining employment within the first month of completing the course, I fully believe that the work that happens here is a crucial step towards introducing these learners back into viable employment which is exactly the aim of the project.

"I also want to pay tribute to St Andrew’s Resource Centre and its partners for looking to significantly expand the project into the future, with a target of 1,090 learners in 2024.

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"Projects such as this also help ensure we are creating a construction sector which is supported by skilled and engaged workers, who are aware of how their roles will make a difference.

"I wish to thank the St Andrew’s Resource Centre, Department of Social Protection, Dublin Port, SOLAS, Laois & Offaly ETB, the National Construction Training Centre in Mount Lucas, Dublin City Council and the Inner City Renewal Group for all their tireless work on this project, and without whom we would not have been here today to mark this special occasion."

The Dublin Construction Skills Project includes two certificates, a Construction Skills Certificate and a Green Homes (Retrofitting) Certificate. The course which equips participants to work in the construction sector is delivered over a three week period.

Participants are provided with the opportunity to gain essential Health and Safety Training, including Safe Pass, Manual Handling and key CSCS tickets required for entry into construction and a NFQ Level 3 Construction Skills award that offers core skills sought by employers and is a first step on a pathway to a successful career in construction and retrofitting.

Jim Hargis, Employment Services Manager at St Andrews Resource Centre, said: "The Dublin Construction Skills Project is a successful, low-cost solution that fulfils the need of taking people off the live register, while putting them into sustainable well-paid jobs in a sector that is crying out for workers. We are extremely proud that the project has built up an excellent reputation with employers in the sector and is now seen as a reliable source of trained labour.

"As employment demand in the sector evolves so too does the skillset we offer our trainees – this can be seen in the up to date retrofitting training that contributes to the green economy. The trainees go through three weeks of intensive training, which includes all basic operative training including, health and safety. They graduate on a Friday with their training and equipment fully ready to start work the following week and it has been a life changing experience for many of them."