The annual Skills Shortage Report was published earlier this year by the Department of Employment. This pictorial overview of the report indicates that, from a Trades perspective:
Recruiting employees in the Construction Trades remain a challenge, particularly in NSW
There is reduced demand for Trades in Mining, Manufacturing and Civil Construction
There are persistent shortages in certain Trades, particularly in the Automotive and Food Industries
Trades employment grew 15.5% over the decade to December 2015, and 2.1% over the preceding year
Despite the employment growth, apprenticeship and traineeship commencements remain at the same levels as they were 10 years ago
The outlook in the report speaks of further projected growth of 9.3% for Trades Workers to the end of 2019. Given the subsequent and mooted announcements of billions of dollars of investment in Rail and Defence in particular, as well as significant pre-election promises in Infrastructure spending around the country, the projected growth appears understated. Any resurgence in the Mining sector will obviously add an interesting dynamic.
Whilst the growth prospects are exciting, Organisations are more and more conscious of impending skill shortages in the Trades sector. There is an emphasis on ensuring that appropriate supply models are therefore in place, and in understanding the implications of the inevitable wage pressures that are associated with increased demand.