TRADIES WANTED
Not enough builders for Geelong’s boom
LOCAL builders are struggling to find enough apprentices to cope with the region’s huge building boom and it could see trade prices surge.
YOUNG people are being advised to ditch text books for a toolbox, as builders struggle to find enough apprentices to cope with the region’s housing boom.
A surge in commercial and residential builds is driving a demand for skilled labourers and it could see trade prices surge if vacant positions cannot be filled.
Hamlan Homes director Andrew Carroll says a dearth of qualified bricklayers has driven up the trade price over the past two years.
Mr Carroll said buyers could expect to pay more for new builds if the industry failed to attract more apprentices.
“The building industry isn’t a dropout industry. It’s a progressive industry where kids can make a really good wage,” he said.
The city’s Master Builders Association members fear the city’s growing industry, valued about $1.35 billion, could be stalled by a lack of qualified people.
Members say a labour shortage is increasing the cost and time involved in building a house and adding to already high property prices.
The worrying decline in people taking up apprenticeships has driven the association to ramp up its recruitment campaign and jointly run a student tour with The Gordon, in a bid to fill the gap. Students will today tour building sites to see the variety of trades on offer.
Master Builder member and Lyons Constructions owner Norm Lyons said young people should see the building boom as an opportunity to gain steady employment and hone worthwhile skills.
“While the industry continues to grow, there aren’t necessarily trades to deliver on that growth,” Mr Lyons said.
Signature Homes manager Mick Stanley said builders were fearful the number of apprentices entering the trade market would not meet the “healthy demand” for building in the city.
Federal Government statistics show the trade sector is over-represented in Victoria’s skills shortage list.
The latest jobs report showed 85.5 per cent of apprentices gained employment six months after completion, compared to 68 per cent of university graduates.