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October 02, 2018
Shortfall in building trainees despite record apprenticeships
Waatea Team
Posted On October 2, 2018
The chief executive of the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation says the construction sector must diversify and attract more women, Māori, Pasifika and Asian workers.
Warwick Quinn says number of Kiwis engaging in building and construction apprenticeships is at record highs, with 12,000 apprentices actively training.
But that's not enough to meet future targets.
Employment forecasts for the construction sector suggest there will be 37,000 new and 44,500 replacement job openings in the next five years.
The record low birth rate in 2003 means the number of school leavers today has never been lower and this is adding pressure an already stretched sector.
Mr Quinn says there is a window of 4 to 5 years to address some of the concerns before another cyclical drop in birth rates.
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