HIA welcomes budget boost for skilled workers

The Albanese government has announced the investment of $90.6 million towards boosting the number of skilled workers in the construction and housing sector.

According to the government, the investment is part of a “big focus” on housing in the upcoming 2024-25 budget (due 14 May).

The budget aims to remove cost barriers to education and training as well as incentivise individuals to train in areas “the economy needs them the most”, with 88.8 million for 20,000 additional Fee-Free TAFE training places to increase the pipeline of workers for construction and housing, the federal government said.

Managing director of the Housing Industry Association (HIA), Jocelyn Martin, said the HIA has welcomed the commitment to skilled workers.

“This includes measures to help attract more apprentices into the industry, fee-free training, streamlining the visa program for in-demand trades and an education and awareness program to assist participants [to] navigate the complex process to be able to work on Australian building sites,” Martin said.

“One of the key issues in building these much-needed homes [is] having an adequate workforce and without this the Government will fall well short of its housing target.

“It is therefore pleasing to see the Budget commitment to start to address these skills shortages in our sector as well as the recognition of this as a key area of governments focus going forward.”

In addition, chief executive of the Civil Contractors Federation (CCF), Nicholas Proud, said the “timing of this boost is very much welcomed” and commended the federal government on its goal of 1.2 million new homes by July 2029.

“The release of the latest population numbers presents a shocking reality that the nation is busting at the seams with not enough housing and stifled by the shortages across most trades in infrastructure that precedes it,” Proud said.

“In simplest terms not one dollar in housing can be spent until a dollar has been spent in civil with this announcement critical for civil to play its role in delivering housing enabling infrastructure.

“With new home builds having record declines from 224,000 home completions in the 12 months to March 2017 to drop back to 172,000 completions for the same period this year and further declines in approvals and commencements on the way, a reprioritising of housing enabling infrastructure and the trades required is critical.”

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