‘Making Innovation Core to the Industry, Giving Opportunities to Graduates’ Through Training and Mentorship at Construct Innovate
The Work Ready Graduate Programme, run by Construct Innovate in the University of Galway, matching graduates with a degree relevant to construction and the built environment with innovative companies. Graduates are also supported with training and mentorship by Construct Innovate. This programme ensures a new generation of professionals can fully embrace Modern Methods of Construction.
The Irish building sector is heavily reliant on not just a smaller pool of workers than in previous generations, but also an older demographic than previous generations. A report from Ibec shows the proportion of construction workers aged 15-24 remains below 15%, while 20% of the workforce is expected to retire within the next 10 years.
Offering enticing opportunities for graduates with degrees in the built environment, as well as engineering, architecture and digital technologies, to enter the industry is crucial. This is supported, in part, by connecting talented professionals with innovate construction companies. And the final piece of the puzzle? Training in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) to ensure both parties maximise the benefits of the other.
The year-long Work Ready Graduate Programme fills this need, pairing recent graduates holding an NFQ-Level 8 degree with member companies of Construct Innovate. The programme partly funds the graduate’s salary for the duration of the placement. In parallel to full-time work, graduates will complete a Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Innovation from University of Galway (part time). Graduates will also receive ongoing mentorship and support from Construct Innovate and the university.
Colm McHugh, Construct Innovate Centre Manager, expanded on the goal of the programme:
“Traditionally the construction industry hasn’t maximised its potential in R&D. It’s about promoting a research-focused mindset in construction companies and making innovation core to the industry, while also giving opportunities to graduates that have modern skills and insights but no real-world experience.”
Construct Innovate Centre Manager
So, what are the key benefits for both graduates and companies involved in the programme? Construction companies gain a skilled graduate, paired to their needs by Construct Innovate, trained in MMC and innovative research techniques. Beyond this, they can also benefit from being part of the Construct Innovate network of R&D activity – all at least half-funded through Enterprise Ireland. Graduates, meanwhile, can apply their research and academia-focused expertise to real-life construction projects in a supportive environment while also gaining a Postgraduate Diploma qualification.
The Work Ready Graduate Programme is key to moving the dial on the skills baseline in construction. This includes making native intelligence in digital building technologies, Lean principles, and sustainable construction as important as trades-based skills.
“Modern construction companies aren't just looking for builders, engineers, and architects. They need Data Analysts, machine learning and AI experts, digital technologists, robotics developers. These aren’t typical in construction, so this programme can bridge professionals with technological skills and the industry.”
Centre Manager for Construct Innovate
The success of the programme in bringing innovative ideas into the construction sector—and embedding them—is plain to see. Colm says 75% of graduates stay on as full-time employees at the companies they are seconded to after their placement.
Graduates themselves speak highly of the programme in how it has helped their career. One such graduate is Baran Moradkhani, alum from the 2024/2025 academic year and now an AI Engineer at cost and carbon management consultancy firm KOSMOS.
“To anyone considering the Work Ready Graduate Programme, I would highly recommend it. It’s a unique and valuable opportunity to step into the industry with the support of a structured programme that values both innovation and professional development. It helped me to bring AI into construction and to improve my skills in real world.”
AI Engineer at KOSMOS
Baran moved to Ireland four years ago from her native Iran to complete a Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence at the Technical University of Shannon. After graduating, she saw the programme as a way to transition from academia to industry. She was linked with KOSMOS, a sustainability management services firm in Limerick, and was thrilled to discover KOSMOS was serious about adopting AI into operations.
Indeed, the placement offered Baran a platform to bring her expertise into the sector and apply her knowledge of AI in a practical, real-world setting. During her Master’s degree, she had completed several projects utilising AI principles but could only rely on limited datasets sourced online. Once Baran joined KOSMOS, she began working with real-time, industry-specific but unstructured data. One of her first projects involved using AI to automate the data cleaning process and developing a data classification system. This greatly refined KOSMOS’ operational ability to make critical decisions.
This process of standardising and classifying industry data has shaped Baran's role since – an ambitious project KOSMOS had never attempted before. After completing her secondment within the Work Ready Graduate Programme, she received two years of funding through ARC Hub, granted by Research Ireland, to continue her work and show the benefits of commercialising academic research in an industry context.
“I’d like to emphasise: don’t be discouraged if your academic background isn’t directly related to construction. You will learn. You will adapt. The construction sector is evolving rapidly, and there’s a real demand for people with skills in AI, data science, and emerging technologies. It’s a rewarding space to grow in – and this programme is the perfect starting point.”
AI Engineer at KOSMOS
Since arriving at KOSMOS, Baran has been a champion for AI adoption and integration in the business more broadly. Indeed, in the last year KOSMOS has introduced a new Cloud-based data storage and access system for company data. This system is augmented with AI technologies to help make finding information and identifying trends in data more seamless and accessible to employees in every area of the business. Baran proved to be critical in setting up and formalising this system.
This lends itself academic best-practice in Modern Methods of Construction being applied to the industry for overall improved operational efficiency and certainty.
The Work Ready Graduate Programme for 2026/2027 commences in September, with a new generation of graduates promising to bring innovative ideas to the Irish construction industry in the coming years.
