Independent industry-funded body Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) has announced today it will commit $35 million in a range of training and skills initiatives to help industry transition smoothly into a high-tech new era.
CSQ says the training plan will help Queensland build a workforce capable of meeting the evolving needs of the construction industry, ‘future-proofing’ the state’s construction labour base.
“In our 2016/17 training plan we have outlined a comprehensive investment strategy that will provide vital training support to Queensland’s building and construction career seekers, apprentices, workers and employers,” CSQ CEO Brett Schimming says.
“We are providing pathways for talented people to get started in building and construction, assisting existing workers to develop new skills and offering initiatives that will help employers to retain the best people in our industry,” Schimming says.
CSQ says that any benefits of new construction technology would be lost without access to high-quality training.
“This year we have invested significantly in our existing workforce, through higher level skills training and short courses and this will ensure Queensland’s construction industry has the necessary skills to deal with the technological advances that are fast coming our way,” Schimming says.
In addition to the training plan CSQ has also released an ‘Industry Outlook’ document of research data supporting the training plan and also forecasting the health of the industry over the next 12 months. The document reveals an optimistic outlook for Queensland construction.
“The roller-coaster that was the mining industry over the past decade appears to be behind us, with engineering construction activity stabilising after falling from historic highs in 2012,” Schimming says.
“Lending patterns are impacting the apartment and housing sectors, with the surge in investor apartments finally tapering off. Owner occupiers are returning to the market in abundance and they are building new homes rather than renovating, which is great news for our industry.”