Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has launched two major recruitment drives to bolster the Department for Infrastructure’s (DfI) workforce as Northern Ireland grapples with a deepening road maintenance crisis. The campaigns, announced on 16 March 2026, seek to fill Industrial Road Worker positions and Trainee Civil Engineering Assistant roles through an innovative Skills Academy partnership with Belfast Met.
The recruitment initiatives come amid stark warnings from industry bodies about critical staff shortages threatening road safety, and follow recent data showing 97,897 potholes were recorded across Northern Ireland’s roads in 2025.
Two Pathways into Essential Public Services
The Department is pursuing two distinct recruitment strategies to address its workforce gaps:
- Industrial Road Workers: Frontline operatives who will join teams across all parts of Northern Ireland to carry out road defect repairs, gully cleansing, grass cutting, and winter gritting services. These workers also respond to incidents on the road network to ensure safe and efficient operation.
- Trainee Civil Engineering Assistants: Entry-level technical roles filled through a Skills Academy programme delivered in association with Belfast Met. Successful candidates undertake four weeks of paid pre-employment training, leading to industry-recognised accredited qualifications and careers as road inspectors, lab technicians, or site supervisors.
Both competitions opened on 16 March 2026 and close on 31 March 2026.
Minister’s Appeal to Prospective Candidates
Speaking at the launch, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins emphasised the vital nature of these often-unseen public service roles:
“It is vitally important that the Department has people with the right skills to maintain and manage the road network.
If you want to help carry out much needed maintenance to the road or if you want to train to become a civil engineer, you should consider applying these roles with DfI. These types of public services are important, and while they may be unseen, they are essential as they help keep the infrastructure we all rely on each and every day in good condition.
Both of these roles offer a rewarding career in the delivery of essential public services.”
Educational Partnership
The Skills Academy model represents a continued collaboration between DfI and Belfast Met, building on a pilot programme that saw 29 trainees graduate into permanent roles in early 2025.
Damian Duffy, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met, welcomed the expanded initiative:
“We are delighted to continue our strong partnership with the Department for Infrastructure through this Skills Academy. Initiatives such as this demonstrate the important role further education plays in supporting the development of a skilled workforce that can meet the evolving needs of our public services and infrastructure sector.
“This programme provides participants with high-quality training delivered through a partnering approach between Belfast Met and the Department for Infrastructure. It supports individuals in developing the skills required for meaningful careers within DfI while helping the Department build the specialist expertise needed to deliver vital services across Northern Ireland. Belfast Met remains committed to working with government and industry partners to develop talent, widen access to opportunity and support sustainable economic development across the region.”
Context: Addressing the Roads Crisis
The recruitment drive arrives at a critical juncture for Northern Ireland’s transport infrastructure. Recent statistics reveal that 127,109 surface defects were recorded on local roads in 2025, with potholes accounting for 77% of these hazards. The Mineral Products Association Northern Ireland (MPANI) has previously warned that “severe staff shortages within the Department for Infrastructure” are threatening both road safety and the wider economy.
The Department spent £466 million on roads during 2024-25, with £136 million allocated specifically to structural maintenance. However, despite this expenditure, an estimated £1.2 billion is required to bring the entire road network up to standard.
Unanswered Questions
While the recruitment campaigns offer clear pathways into civil service careers, several questions remain regarding their scale and impact:
- How many positions are available through these specific competitions, and how does this number compare to the total vacancy rate across DfI’s roads division?
- Will four weeks of pre-employment training provide sufficient technical grounding for Trainee Civil Engineering Assistants to address the complex maintenance backlog, or will additional on-the-job mentoring be required?
- Given that the Department faces competition from the private construction sector, what retention strategies are in place to ensure these new recruits remain in public service once qualified?
- How will the Department measure the success of these campaigns in terms of tangible improvements to road condition statistics?
What Happens Next
Interested candidates have until 31 March 2026 to submit applications. Successful Skills Academy participants will begin their four-week paid training programme at Belfast Met before transitioning into permanent DfI roles, while Industrial Road Worker recruits will join operational teams across regional depots.
The initiatives form part of Minister Kimmins’ broader response to infrastructure challenges highlighted during recent Assembly debates, where the condition of Northern Ireland’s roads was described as having reached “crisis point.” Whether this recruitment drive proves sufficient to reverse years of under-investment and staff attrition will become clearer when the next annual road condition statistics are published in late 2026.
Further details and application forms are available via the Northern Ireland Civil Service recruitment portal for Industrial Road Workers and the Skills Academy Trainee Civil Engineering Assistant vacancy.