INDUSTRY NEWS

New NCVER data shows nearly 59% of Australia's trade apprentices are completing their qualifications — but the HIA warns a shortfall of 83,000 skilled tradespeople remains as residential builders compete for workers against AUKUS, renewable energy projects and data centres.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed new figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) showing more trade apprentices are completing their qualifications, describing the results as an encouraging sign that Australia's construction workforce pipeline is beginning to strengthen.

The latest data shows almost 59% of trade apprentices are now completing their apprenticeships, with completion rates for carpenters, joiners, and electricians continuing to improve. The figures build on earlier NCVER enrolment data showing that architecture and building were the only major fields of education to record growth in qualification enrolments during 2025, with almost 14,000 additional enrolments recorded despite overall vocational education and training (VET) qualification enrolments falling by more than 5%.

"These figures tell a positive story", says Mike Hermon, HIA Executive Director Future Workforce. "More Australians are choosing a career in construction, and, importantly, more of them are completing their qualifications."

Hermon says the results demonstrate that investment in apprenticeship programs is paying off. "These results show the investments being made in apprenticeships are paying dividends, but they also highlight why governments cannot afford to become complacent."

Despite the improvement, significant structural challenges remain. The HIA estimates Australia still needs around 83,000 additional skilled tradespeople to deliver the homes required over the coming years — a shortfall being compounded by intensifying competition for the same workers across multiple sectors of the economy.

"Residential builders are no longer just competing with each other," Hermon notes. "They're competing with major transport infrastructure, renewable energy projects, AUKUS, mining developments, transmission upgrades and the rapid expansion of data centres. Every one of those projects is chasing the same electricians, carpenters, plumbers and other skilled trades our industry depends on."

For architects, developers, and construction businesses across the country, the convergence of demand from large-scale infrastructure programs and residential building creates compounding pressure on project timelines, procurement, and costs. The challenge is particularly pronounced in states where defence, energy and transport projects are drawing heavily on the same licensed trades pool as residential builders.

The HIA is calling on governments to build on the positive completion trend by extending employer apprentice incentives, investing in high-quality training facilities and programs, strengthening support for apprentice retention, and pursuing targeted skilled migration to supplement the domestic workforce pipeline.

"The latest figures show more young Australians are coming through the front door and more are making it to the finish line," Hermon says. "The next step is making sure that momentum continues by extending employer apprentice incentives, investing in high-quality training, supporting apprentice retention and ensuring targeted skilled migration complements Australia's domestic workforce."

Hermon says the industry cannot afford for policy focus to waver at this stage. "If Australia is serious about meeting its housing targets, we need to keep growing the skilled workforce that builds our homes. Today's figures are encouraging, but they are only one step towards meeting the challenge."

Image: Wikipedia Commons

Architecture & Design Team

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