Construction sector needs 83,000 more tradies to meet housing targets

Australia requires an additional 83,000 trades workers to achieve the Housing Accord’s target of building 1.2 million homes in the next five years.

The residential construction industry must grow its trades workforce by 30 per cent from its current level of 278,000 workers, according to the Housing Industry Association (HIA).

“The residential building industry currently employs approximately 278,000 tradies across the twelve key trade occupations required for home building. The trades workforce needs to grow by at least 30 per cent to meet the Accord’s goals,” HIA Executive Director Future Workforce Geordan Murray said.

The industry needs more carpenters, electricians, plumbers, bricklayers and concreters to meet construction demands.

Murray called for increased support for businesses providing apprenticeships and greater promotion of trade careers in schools.

“The skills, knowledge and experience gained throughout a trade apprenticeship in the construction industry open doors to a wide range of career opportunities,” he said.

While governments have committed to improving TAFE resources, Murray emphasised that public institutions alone cannot meet the training demand.

The HIA plans to address these workforce challenges in its upcoming federal budget submission.

“The time for business-as-usual solutions has passed, and we need all hands on deck and coordinated government actions to address the chronic tradies skills shortages,” Murray said.