The construction industry is booming in Australia right now. According to recent forecasts, the industry will experience significant job growth over the next few years.
In fact, Australia's construction industry in Australia is expected to grow by 10.6% to reach AUD 163,797 million in 2022 which is set to create around 1200,700 jobs over the next five years.
The Australian Industry and Skills Committee has identified the top growth areas of the construction industry.
Building Installation Services
This sector involves construction work such as plumbing and drainage installation and repair, air conditioning and heating installation and fire and security alarm testing. This sector currently employs over 272,000 people and is expected to grow to 308,000 by 2024.
The top 3 occupations for this sector are electrician, plumbers, and air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics.
General Construction and Demolition
This sector includes Residential Building and Non-residential Building Construction as well as Land Development and Site Preparation, renovations, additions or alterations to existing buildings and accompanying site preparation or development.
The general construction and demolition sector employed just over 300,000 people at the end of 2021 and this is expected to rise by over 80,000 in the next 3 years.
The top occupations for this industry are:
- Construction managers
- Carpenters and joiners
- Architectural, building and surveying technicians
- Building and plumbing labourers
- And to a lesser extent, plasters, bricklayers and stonemasons
Specialist Construction Services
This sector includes construction crane operations, waterproofing of buildings, dogging, post-tensioning, rigging, scaffolding, and swimming pool or spa building. Landscape Construction services and the Hire of Construction Machinery are also classified as part of this sector.
The specialist construction sector is mostly made up of smaller businesses. About 123,000 worked in this sector last year, and this is expected to rise by over 15,000 by 2025.
How will the skills shortage affect job growth?
The skills shortage is already starting to have an impact on the construction industry. In some areas, projects are being delayed or cancelled because there aren't enough qualified workers to complete them. This is only going to become more of a problem as the industry continues to grow.
One way to address the skills shortage is by increasing the number of people who are certified with RPL certification. RPL stands for Recognition of Prior Learning. It's a process that allows people to get qualifications based on their previous work experience and knowledge, rather than having to complete a full course of study.
The other way to address the skills shortage is by bringing in workers from overseas. This is already happening to some extent, but it's likely that we'll see more of it in the future.
What does this mean for job seekers?
If you're interested in working in the construction industry, now is a great time to start looking for work. There are plenty of opportunities out there, and the industry is only going to continue to grow.
RPL certification can help you recognise your experience in the construction industry, even if you don't have formal qualifications. If you're interested in advancing your career in the construction industry, it's definitely worth considering.
Whether you're looking for in an entry-level job or in construction management, may be something for you.
