Less Labour, More Sustainable: Solving Skills Shortages with ICF from Thermohouse
A shortage of skilled labour in Irish construction can be addressed by training tradespeople to do more in less time with more Modern Methods of Construction.
The Irish construction industry has been facing a significant shortage of skilled labour, particularly within traditional building trades such as bricklaying and carpentry. Even a massive recruitment drive, domestically and internationally, for thousands of new workers would take years – and still may not meet the rigorous level of demand. And Ireland needs this skilled labour immediately.
Another way of addressing this shortage is equipping tradespeople with more Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) so they can do more with their skills in less time.
Thermohouse is helping to tackle the issue by offering a modern, energy-efficient system that not only simplifies the building process but also creates new opportunities for the workforce to adapt to the MMC sector.
The fully integrated low-energy building system—including insulated concrete formwork walls, roofs, and floors—is designed for rapid installation by a smaller team with multi-trade expertise. As a result, tradespeople with transferable skillsets are ideally positioned to transition into MMC roles with Thermohouse.
Shuttering carpenters, for example, are naturally suited to the system thanks to their understanding of formwork, structural integrity, and precision layout. Similarly, bricklayers can pivot their skills—working with levels, plumb lines, and setting out—for cleaner, faster builds without the usual manual handling of bricks and mortar.
Groundworkers and concrete finishers also find Thermohouse an excellent fit, given their experience with foundations, concrete placement, and structural understanding. Likewise, dryliners and cladding installers quickly adapt to handling modular systems.
Thermohouse support this transition by offering CPD courses, hands-on training, and onsite guidance on low energy building systems, to support tradespeople on construction projects builds. Learning practically and onsite ensures workers gain a detailed understanding in the new system. Damien Gleeson, Development & Specification Executive at Thermohouse, adds it’s a great way to promote MMC more generally.
The emphasis on hands-on training helps workers gain confidence in MMC.
Development & Specification Executive at Thermohouse
This futureproofs the skillsets of professionals in a construction sector headed for MMC as a standard rather than a point of difference. It also makes Thermohouse, offering easier and more effective building projects, an attractive prospect for a limited pool of skilled workers that can have their pick of the industry's best jobs.
Thermohouse is proud to be part of the solution to the building skills shortage, creating pathways for traditional trades to transition to MMC in a changing industry while still delivering efficient and sustainable homes in less time.
Development & Specification Executive at Thermohouse
