This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE Miles Government’s Homes for Queenslanders plans will see free construction apprenticeships expanded to over 25s, to help address the labour shortages weighing on the housing crisis.
The new scheme will train up to 2,250 extra carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers, and electricians and more over the coming to two years, bringing the total number of apprenticeships to more than 13,000.
Currently, less than a third of construction-related apprenticeships are undertaken by people aged 25 and over.
“For the first time, construction apprenticeships are free to Queenslanders of all ages,” said Meaghan Scanlon, minister for housing.
“We don’t just want more Queenslanders to take up a good career in construction, we need them so we can build more Homes for Queenslanders. With free apprenticeships and $1,000 cash-back on tools for first-years, there’s never been a better time to be a tradie.”
These new labourers will hopefully help deliver the state government’s five-pillar Homes for Queenslanders plan to deliver one million new homes by 2046, including 53,500 new social homes, as announced in February.
“Progressive coal royalties means cost of living shouldn’t get in the way of any Queenslander getting into the high paid hi-vis jobs created by our Big Build,” said Lance McCallum, minister for employment and small business and minister for training and skills development.
“From Free TAFE to Free Tools for First Years, and now Free Construction Apprenticeships, the Miles Government is helping more Queenslanders discover highly skilled careers that come from construction apprenticeships.”
This builds on other Homes for Queenslanders initiatives, including Construction Workforce Fund include a $2 million Housing Construction Traineeship Fund and the $4 million Free Tools for First Years program.
With BuildSkills Australia estimating the government would need an extra 90,000 tradies in order to deliver the 60,000-plus homes each quarter from July when the National Housing Accord and Housing Australia Future Fund begin.
The Free Construction Apprenticeships for Over 25s program will be available from July 1 2024 to 30 June 2026.
