Where have all the tradies gone
Money Magazine Australia|May 2023
Among other measures, women are being encouraged to take up vocational courses to ease a critical skills shortage
ELIOT HASTIE
Where have all the tradies gone

In just over six months, thousands of young Australians will be finishing year 12 and moving on to the next stage of their lives, which will begin with making a decision. Typically, they will choose between obtaining a university degree or undertaking vocational education training (VET).

Most will choose the former. Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows 63% of people aged 15-74 have a post-school qualification, roughly split between bachelor's degrees and TAFE certificates. In the younger generations, bachelor's degrees are the clear winner.

What's losing out, however, is the trades sector. Australia faces a serious shortage of skilled tradies. According to the National Skills Commission (NSC), across all technician and trades worker occupations assessed for the 2021 skills priority list (SPL), 42% were found to be in shortage compared with 19% across all occupation groups. This is despite a projection for high future demand, with the NSC finding 30% of all occupations for technicians and trade workers have strong growth prospects.

According to Jobs and Skills Australia, these shortages have persisted for many years. "Prior to Covid-19, there was a long-term trend in the labour market where growth in skill level 1 occupations - that is, occupations usually requiring a bachelor's degree or higher educational attainment level - was much stronger than for other occupation types, including technicians and trades workers," a spokesperson says.

Over the past 20 years, in fact, employment in skill level 1 occupations has grown 86%, compared with just 32.7% for technician and trade workers.

The tighter labour market has meant the gap between both is widening. "The 2022 skills priority list found that 31% of all assessed occupations were in shortage (up from 19% in 2021), while 47% of technician and trades worker occupations were found to be in shortage (up from 42% in 2021)," the spokesperson says.

この記事は Money Magazine Australia の May 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Money Magazine Australia の May 2023 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

MONEY MAGAZINE AUSTRALIAのその他の記事すべて表示
An outrageous, beautiful monopoly
Money Magazine Australia

An outrageous, beautiful monopoly

Telstra's mobile business is a cash machine with few competitors, giving it the highest returns in the world.

time-read
4 分  |
July 2024
Drop the anchor to judge value
Money Magazine Australia

Drop the anchor to judge value

Buying and selling decisions should be based on where a stock price is going, not where it has been.

time-read
3 分  |
July 2024
Powering the AI boom
Money Magazine Australia

Powering the AI boom

Beyond the software and chipmakers, where will the energy come from?

time-read
3 分  |
July 2024
Get into life
Money Magazine Australia

Get into life

Tucked inside super are products that can protect you from life's inevitable uncertainties.

time-read
5 分  |
July 2024
Paths to home ownership
Money Magazine Australia

Paths to home ownership

Taking the road less travelled can sometimes deliver unexpected benefits.

time-read
5 分  |
July 2024
Sold! Quick ways to add value
Money Magazine Australia

Sold! Quick ways to add value

Small, strategic changes can have a big impact on the look and feel of your home. And get you a better price on auction day.

time-read
5 分  |
July 2024
Money lessons the kids need to know
Money Magazine Australia

Money lessons the kids need to know

Your children can learn a lot from your past money mishaps. Here are eight financial conversations I have had with mine.

time-read
4 分  |
July 2024
Property-investing rules: are they likely to change?
Money Magazine Australia

Property-investing rules: are they likely to change?

The pressure for the government to curb the tax benefits of tax concessions, such as negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, is unrelenting. Most recently, independent senators David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie proposed five options for paring back investment property tax concessions, with savings to the Federal budget of up to $60 billion over the next decade.

time-read
3 分  |
July 2024
What's love got to do with it?
Money Magazine Australia

What's love got to do with it?

A rollercoaster of emotions could be driving poor crypto behaviour.

time-read
3 分  |
July 2024
Are we ready to be cash-free?
Money Magazine Australia

Are we ready to be cash-free?

Saying goodbye to our piggy banks too soon could leave small businesses in the dark when problems arise.

time-read
2 分  |
July 2024