Construction Job Vacancies on the Rise and The Kickstart to Construction Program
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Construction Job Vacancies on the Rise
This week online job advert data published by the National Skills Commission (March 2023) showed that in the ACT the three-month rolling average for online job ads to the end of March 2023 was 8,254. This is 2.7% higher than last year (March 2022, 8,040 job ads) and is 16.7% above the 7,072 jobs advertised online last month.
Compared to last month, job ads are higher for 11 of the 15 key construction occupation groups with the highest increases for bricklayers, roof tilers, and fencers.
The construction occupation groups with the highest number of online job ads in March 2023 are Construction Manager (266 ads), Carpenters and Joiners (35 ads), and Plumbers (33 ads).
The release of the March 2023 job advert data follows MBA Australia’s release of its blueprint for future-proofing the building and construction industry’s workforce last week.
In our ACT Budget submission we identified key skills and training recommendations for the ACT budget that can help address our shortage of workers.
These recommendations include:
- Increase the apprenticeship subsidies for all trade apprenticeships
- Continue funding to diversify the construction workforce
- Promote trade apprenticeship opportunities for school leavers
- Work with the Commonwealth Government to prioritise skilled migration into the ACT
- Develop a workforce transition plan to support the ACT’s electrification transition
Kickstart to Construction Program
Today we held the ACT Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services (MARSS) Kickstart to Construction program graduation. The program is a joint initiative with MARSS, with funding from Skills Canberra, to provide basic language skills training and support to migrants and refugees. This program is funded under the Adult Community Education JobTrainer grants program, a jointly funded initiative of the ACT and Australian governments.
This program is one of the examples of how we are encouraging new entrants to join the industry. You can read more about our other industry attraction programs here.
