Dr Keith Sunderland
Registrar at Engineers Ireland
Rising demand, electrification and geopolitical uncertainty are putting pressure on Ireland’s energy system. A secure, resilient and low-carbon supply is an urgent economic and strategic priority.
A critical challenge for Ireland will be to meet the engineering workforce requirements necessary for this energy transition..
Range of engineering opportunities
Virtually all major categories of engineer — including civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and chemical engineers — are listed on the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment’s Critical Skills Occupation List, indicating a dearth of engineering professionals required for the proper functioning of the economy.
Ireland also lags significantly behind most developed countries in the proportion of its graduates of who have completed engineering, manufacturing or construction qualifications at third-level, with only 9.95% of Irish graduates in 2024 having done so, compared to an OECD average of 13.1% and significantly below leading European nations such as Germany (21.3%), Austria (18.9%), and Finland (17.1%).
There are a number of key initiatives, however, that can help increase the number of students choosing engineering.
By including the fifth year within the Initiative,
more graduates can be supported on their journeys to becoming Chartered Engineers
Engineering should be made more accessible
Greater support for third-level institutions in Ireland in offering and promoting places in engineering courses accredited by Engineers Ireland would assist in growing the number of appropriately trained engineering graduates in this country. A particular focus should be placed on promotion to women, who currently make up only around 15% of Ireland’s engineering workforce.
Furthermore, support for the expansion of the number of engineering apprenticeship programmes accredited at NFQ level 8 and above could also assist in growing the number of those entering the profession through non-traditional routes.
Lastly, five-year integrated master’s degrees, which allow graduates to meet the educational requirements to obtain the professional title of Chartered Engineer, are of considerable benefit in developing high-quality engineering graduates, ready to enter the workforce.
Regrettably, however, the fees for the fifth year of this programme are not currently paid by the Free Fees Initiative in the same way other five-year undergraduate, vocationally focused courses (such as medicine) are. By including the fifth year within the Initiative, more graduates can be supported on their journeys to becoming Chartered Engineers.
Critical need for engineers
Without enough engineers, Ireland’s energy transition, infrastructure delivery and industrial competitiveness objectives will become increasingly difficult to achieve. Greater third-level supports can help address this problem.
