Construction workforce planning experts met with Sunshine Coast industry leaders last week to discuss the next chapter for the region and what kind of skills will be most in demand.
As the residential building boom cools and sustained labour and material shortages ease, Construction Skills Queensland is predicting a more manageable delivery environment for 2023-24.
But CSQ says this is not a hiatus for industry and that infrastructure and renewable projects will continue to create significant demand for skilled trades.
CSQ general manager Sean Cummiskey said the Sunshine Coast would require a different profile of skilled workers to meet the needs of an industry that will be underpinned by a new set of key projects.
“The Sunshine Coast has worked through a record volume of residential building projects over the last 24 months,” Mr Cummiskey said.
“We have seen a high-stress, high-pressure building environment for builders and their trades with material and labour shortages delaying projects and adding to costs right across the region.
“The good news is that we are safely moving into a more sustainable period of ongoing activity as the residential pipeline empties but major projects continue to provide plenty of demand for skilled construction workers.
“Projects such as the Placemaking Mooloolaba Foreshore Revitalisation Project and Caboolture-Bribie Island Road and Steve Irwin Way Project will lead local activity, and these kinds of projects require a different skills profile to those needed for residential work.
“In-demand roles will be carpenters and joiners, concreters and electricians, for example.
“CSQ is predicting a decade of elevated construction activity and demand for skilled labour, so we are taking a ‘long game’ approach to attracting new participants to the industry, as well as developing and retaining the existing workforce.
“Skills shortages are a real threat to Queensland being able to realise the full potential presented by major works such as renewables projects and the Olympics.
“We are specifically looking to boost the numbers of young people and women considering a career in construction in the coming years as an essential workforce growth strategy.”
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The Sunshine Coast construction workforce is currently 22,070 people, with 2680 of those being apprentices and trainees.
“One of the happy side effects of the pandemic boom has been a record amount of training undertaken in the region,” Mr Cummiskey said.
“A total of 1425 new trade apprentices were enrolled and CSQ funded a record 4850 construction courses.
“This bodes well for meeting shorter-term needs of industry, however, it will be essential that we continue to attract and grow the next crop of entrants.”
CSQ hosted a consultation session with industry leaders on the Coast on Tuesday to discuss future industry activity and resourcing, and look at the projects expected to influence the employment needs of the region over the next few years.
CSQ is an independent, not-for-profit, industry-funded body supporting employers, workers, apprentices, trainees and career seekers in the building and construction industry.
It is funded by a statutory training levy that is charged on all building and construction work performed in Queensland with a cost of $150,000 or more (excluding GST) at a rate of 0.1 per cent of the cost of the project.
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