90,000 Construction Workers Needed in Australia to Build Millions of Residential Homes in 5 Years

The Australian government aims to build 1.2 million new homes within five years, requiring an additional 90,000 construction workers. This initiative includes attracting skilled migrants and women to join the construction sector.

(Photo : Pixabay/Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke )

Construction Crisis Construction

Beginning in mid-year, the five-year aim that the Australian government has set for itself is a component of the National Housing Accord that was agreed upon by the states and territories. The construction industry is now suffering workforce issues, and a panel that the government has entrusted to identify answers to these challenges has stated that for the government to stay on schedule, it would need to construct 60,000 new homes every quarter to meet the 1.2 million new houses goal after five years. This would reportedly demand a workforce of 90,000 people more than currently available.

Moreover, Robert Sobyra, the organization's executive director of research and planning, stated that it took a lot of work to recruit many personnel quickly. Denita Wawn, chief executive officer of Master Builders Australia, added that the analysis conducted by BuildSkills was consistent with what she was hearing from the sector. Wawn noted that in addition to increasing the number of migrants who possess trade skills, it was necessary to make getting overseas qualifications acknowledged more practical, less expensive, and less complicated. She also emphasized that efforts should be made to encourage school leavers to consider the sector a viable career option and attract more women.

Accordingly, another effort is required to promote the industry as a viable career option for high school dropouts and to draw more women to it. Despite this, Wawn maintained her optimism that the five-year plan could still be accomplished by 2029 and on time because it is so much needed. The research by BuildSkills revealed 'how ambitious the target is, yet Sobyra acknowledged that it was still feasible to achieve the goal.

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House Construction Target

As per Wawn, the housing industry group has projected to meet demand and replace an aging workforce. The sector will require the recruitment of approximately 500,000 Australians within the next three to five years. On behalf of the federal government, Housing Minister Julie Collins stated that the government was collaborating with the provinces and territories to fulfill the ambitious accord target.

New incentives to increase the supply of rental housing, the Housing Support Programme worth $500 million, the $3 billion New Homes Bonus, and the Housing Australia Future Fund worth $10 billion are being utilized to assist territories and states in meeting this objective. Based on the most recent statistics on job openings with Jobs and Skills Australia for persons working in the building trades, in February, 796 positions were offered in New South Wales, 729 in Victoria, and 868 in Queensland.

Minister of Skills and Training Brendan O'Connor, who recently initiated an inquiry into the recruitment and retention of apprentices, stated that the government was acutely aware of the perpetual necessity to ensure that their education and training sector adapts to the housing industry and prefabricated homes, which are both undergoing rapid transformations.

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