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A fall in apprentice number could negatively impact Brisbane housing supply. Picture: Zak Simmonds<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Experts warn the crunch is already biting in Queensland \u2013 the nation\u2019s fastest-growing state \u2013 and could soon hit every major city as migration, housing demand and major projects ramp up.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Young couple\u2019s $355k motel gamble pays off<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Secret agent\u2019 mansion is Aus\u2019 most wanted<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Gucci mansion\u2019 sold in a big weekend for city\u2019s prestige market<\/a><\/p>\n Robert Borg, Queensland apprentice employment manager at Apprenticeships Are Us. Picture: Supplied<\/p>\n Australia was now in a \u201cdanger zone\u201d 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.<\/p>\n And the tiiming couldn\u2019t be worse.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re facing a serious shortfall of qualified tradespeople at the exact time demand is accelerating,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cBrisbane City Council projects that by 2046, the city will need around 210,800 new homes to support population growth and changing household structures,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s not just rooftops. Mr Cooksey said the skyrocketing population meant pressure on critical services would also surge \u2013 \u201cfrom mechanics and electricians to plumbers, carpenters and refrigeration technicians\u201d.<\/p>\n MORE: Big banks delay rate relief \u2013 your mortgage could suffer<\/a><\/p>\n Investors battle first homebuyers for cheap homes <\/a><\/p>\n Active apprentice and trainee contracts across Australia fell 8.3 per cent in 2024. Picture: Shae Beplate.<\/p>\n Unless more people take up trades, the country is headed for a deeper crisis, Mr Cooksey warned \u2013 especially with Queensland preparing for huge infrastructure demands ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.<\/p>\n \u201cWith 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He said cost-of-living pressures were a major barrier, pushing young Australians toward quick-paying jobs instead of long-term training.<\/p>\n \u201cYoung people are turning to unskilled labour or warehouse work for the immediate financial relief,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s understandable, but it means they miss out on stable, rewarding careers that could last a lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE: Man pulls out 20m \u2018monster\u2019 in Aussie backyard<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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