HIA Chief Executive Industry and Policy Simon Croft said the visit highlighted the critical role vocational education and training providers play in addressing Australia's housing and skills shortages.

"One of the biggest constraints on housing supply is the shortage of skilled tradespeople. Recent analysis estimates Australia needs an additional 83,000 qualified tradespeople to meet future housing demand.

"It is encouraging to see senior members of the Federal Parliament taking a strong interest in apprentice training and hearing directly from the next generation of construction workers.

Mr Croft said access to high quality trade training remained a major challenge across regional and remote Australia.

"Regional and remote communities are crying out for skilled tradespeople, yet many prospective apprentices continue to face significant barriers to accessing training and fit for purpose modern facilities.

"If we want to grow the construction workforce, governments need to support investment in industry-led training facilities and delivery models that bring training closer to where people live and work.

"Building local skills in regional and remote Australia is one of the most effective ways to strengthen local economies, create jobs and deliver more homes in the communities that need them most.

Mr Croft also expressed concern about recent reductions in support for employers taking on apprentices.

"The recent Federal Budget sends the wrong signal to employers by reducing apprentice incentives at a time when apprentice commencements are falling and the industry faces an acute skills shortage.

"Every apprentice starts with an employer willing to invest in their future. If we want more tradies, we need more businesses prepared to take on apprentices, and government policy should be backing that investment, not making their job harder.

"Employers are already managing higher wage and increasing red tape. At a time when we desperately need more apprentices in the industry, the last thing governments should be doing is creating disincentives to hire and train them.

While building Australia's domestic skills pipeline must remain the priority, Mr Croft said a more responsive and better targeted skilled migration program would provide an important supporting role to address the growing skills shortages.

"We need to train more Australians for construction careers, but better use of the skilled migration system for in-demand trades is essential if we are to deliver the homes Australia needs. We need better pathways for recognising overseas trade qualifications, bridging skills gaps and getting skilled workers on site sooner.

Mr Croft said construction continued to offer some of the strongest career opportunities in the economy and that Australia's political leaders have an important role to play in promoting trades as a first-choice career pathway.

“Too often the conversation focuses on university as the default option, but a trade can provide excellent employment prospects, strong earning potential and a pathway to business ownership. We need to do a better job of showcasing the opportunities available through a construction career.

“If Australia is serious about building more homes, we must be equally serious about building the workforce that will deliver them. That means taking a system-wide approach to skills supporting employers to take on apprentices, improving access to quality training, investing in regional and remote facilities, and ensuring skilled migration complements our domestic workforce," concluded Mr Croft.

For more information please contact: