The availability of trades in the state may have marginally increased over the June quarter but the skills shortage in the sector persists even as housing activity falls, according to a recent report.
The availability of trades in the state may have marginally increased over the June quarter but the skills shortage in the sector persists even as housing activity falls, according to a recent report.
The availability of trades in the state may have marginally increased over the June quarter but the skills shortage in the sector persists even as housing activity falls, according to a recent report.
The Housing Industry Association-Austal Bricks Trades report revealed regional WA, along with Adelaide and Brisbane as regions which had the worst trade shortages, while there was no surplus of skilled labour anywhere across the country.
"The result was expected due to the fact we have seen a significant fall in residential building activity. We have not increased the number of tradespeople, it is simply that we are not building as many houses," HIA regional director John Dastlik said.
He added that the fall in building activity is masking the labour shortages that persist in WA suggesting that urgent reform of the vocational education and training system is needed to avoid a future skills crunch.
"Skills shortages in residential construction should ring alarm bells for all levels of government," Mr Dastilik said.
HIA research confirms that WA needs an additional 30,000 new homes over and above current building levels in five years to meet underlying housing demand. One of the real concerns is the availability of skilled labour to deliver this additional housing that is desperately needed.
"Unless the industry attracts an enormous number of new skilled workers, the cost of construction will rise substantially as supply constraints bite", said Mr Dastlik.
To prevent a future skills crunch the state government needs to commit to urgent practical reform of the VET system which is failing to deliver the skilled workers the industry needs.
Despite the demand for skilled tradespeople over 40 percent of those on building sites have no formal qualifications and acquire their skills on the job. Essentially because the formal training system doesn't meet industry needs.
"We don't need more reviews that become captive to vested interests. We need reforms and programs that allow employers and employees to make the training system work and meet Australia's future skilled labour requirements," said Mr Dastlik.
"Unless the VET system starts delivering the type of skills industry wants in a way that is flexible and business friendly we will not only rob future generations of the dream of home ownership but force them to live in caravans."