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As housing supply struggles to keep up with demand, an industry body has called for greater support for apprentices to ensure a steady flow of workers and reduce construction delays.
Master Builders Australia said the industry must boost support for trade apprentices to ensure staffing levels meet the benchmark established in the National Housing Accord.
According to recent data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), the number of construction apprentices beginning a traineeship in the June quarter fell by 26.7 per cent when compared to the same time last year.
Despite the drop in commencements, completions rose by 36.3 per cent over the same period, with 6,550 apprentices becoming qualified.
MBA CEO Denita Wawn said the industry should focus on recruiting more apprentices and providing enough support to ensure they don’t switch careers and complete their studies.
“The completion figures are headed in the right direction with withdrawals also edging down 2.2 per cent, however, 7,571 apprentices are still left without qualification, exceeding the number who completed,” Wawn said.
“The sharp fall in new starts and the 8.3 per cent drop in apprentices in training show that the construction pipeline is shrinking, which will worsen already acute skills shortages.”
“We must turn this around if we are to plug the 100,000-worker gap holding Australia back from meeting the National Housing Accord.”
Wawn said that while the government has made positive moves for the industry, including extending employer and apprenticeship incentives until the end of 2026, more actions were needed.
“The recent extension of employer incentives for apprentices until December 2026 was a good step; however, more is needed to get more boots on and shovels in the ground.”
She said that the government should extend incentives beyond December 2026 and increase Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs in schools.
Additionally, Wawn said the government should provide greater support for skilled migration through a dedicated construction pathway and priority processing, including piloting a building and construction stream within the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme.
Warn said that over the years, becoming a tradie had been seen as unnatractive especially in schools, which have been pushing students towards university degrees.
“Further tackling the university bias will also lead to better outcomes ensuring high school students have access to balanced information to help them make informed decisions about their future careers,” Wawn concluded.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mathew Williams
Born in the rural town of Griffith NSW, Mathew Williams is a graduate journalist who has always had a passion for storytelling. Having graduated from the University of Canberra with a Bachelor of Sports Media in 2023, Mathew recently made the move to Sydney from Canberra to pursue a career in journalism and has joined the Momentum Media team, writing for their real estate brands. Outside of journalism, Mathew is an avid fan of all things sports and regularly attends sporting events across Sydney. Get in touch at
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