Apprentice training in Ireland remains within a state of flux. Although construction output is steady at present with the sector recording growth in excess of 60 percent over the last three years, there remains an alarming discordant issue of a lack of construction skills. In 2017, the largest representative body of construction related firms in Ireland, the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) endorsed a research study of their membership of more than 1,000 firms in an attempt to quantify the level of engagement in training. This study sought to identify the determinants of engagement and the constraints thereof. Findings from the research confirmed employers are predominantly small to medium sized enterprises. Consequently, the key factor determining engagement in training is found to be related to costs. Mechanisms to address this issue are identified herein.