Drop in much-needed sector to hit new house supply

A fall in apprentice number could negatively impact Brisbane housing supply. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Australia is barrelling toward a disastrous tradie shortage, with new figures revealing apprentice numbers are plunging at the worst possible time, which could see more foreign workers needed.

Experts warn the crunch is already biting in Queensland – the nation’s fastest-growing state – and could soon hit every major city as migration, housing demand and major projects ramp up.

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Robert Borg, Queensland apprentice employment manager at Apprenticeships Are Us. Picture: Supplied

Australia was now in a “danger zone” where major industries were desperate for workers but the pipeline was shrinking fast, according to Apprenticeships Are Us (ARU) Queensland apprentice employment manager Robert Borg.

And the tiiming couldn’t be worse.

“We’re facing a serious shortfall of qualified tradespeople at the exact time demand is accelerating,” he said.

Fresh data backs it up. National Centre for Vocational Education Research figures show active apprentice and trainee contracts crashed 8.3 per cent in 2024, including a staggering 18.6 per cent drop among construction trade workers.

Brisbane alone added 72,900 new residents in the year to June 2024, and its population is tipped to hit 2.57 million by 2025, according to ARU general manager Phil Cooksey.

“Brisbane City Council projects that by 2046, the city will need around 210,800 new homes to support population growth and changing household structures,” he said.

And it’s not just rooftops. Mr Cooksey said the skyrocketing population meant pressure on critical services would also surge – “from mechanics and electricians to plumbers, carpenters and refrigeration technicians”.

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Active apprentice and trainee contracts across Australia fell 8.3 per cent in 2024. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Unless more people take up trades, the country is headed for a deeper crisis, Mr Cooksey warned – especially with Queensland preparing for huge infrastructure demands ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.

“With 60 per cent of apprentices abandoning their training and fewer new entrants starting, the shortage of qualified tradespeople will only worsen over the coming years,” he said.

He said cost-of-living pressures were a major barrier, pushing young Australians toward quick-paying jobs instead of long-term training.

“Young people are turning to unskilled labour or warehouse work for the immediate financial relief,” he said.

“It’s understandable, but it means they miss out on stable, rewarding careers that could last a lifetime.”

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The challenges extend to older Australians too. Mature-age apprentices — anyone over 23 — are often passed over because they cost employers more upfront.

“An adult apprentice can cost an employer up to $12,000 more per year compared to a junior apprentice without a Year 12 Certificate, depending on the trade,” Mr Cooksey said. “But that’s just for the first few years.”

He said Queensland was now confronting the worst combination possible: “a growing population and a shrinking pipeline of skilled workers”.

In response, ARU has moved to expand its work in the state.

“ARU’s expansion into Queensland aims to help reverse this trend by connecting motivated apprentices with supportive employers and helping Queensland build the skilled trades workforce it urgently needs,” Mr Cooksey said.

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