Apprenticeship funding is good news for housing supply: Urban Taskforce

EXPERT OBSERVATION

The announcement by the NSW Government that they will be funding $285 million for apprenticeships is good news for housing supply.

The current boom in construction in NSW and particularly in Sydney will need a continuing supply of skilled trades people.

The NSW Government support for a continuing number of apprentices in the building and construction industry is therefore essential for the future work-loads.

New South Wales currently has 400,000 people employed in the development / construction industry with 280,000 of these working on new residential projects.

While recent approvals for residential projects seem to be slowing down this is hopefully a short term dip that will be balanced by continuing growth.

The allocation of almost $300 million to a continuing program of apprenticeships is a good move to help the future of the industry and will ensure thousands of young people have opportunities to develop valuable skills and undertaking training which will help them secure employment.

But the NSW Government needs to carefully manage the current community concerns about the extent of development in the residential sector as well as for major infrastructure projects.

It is important that the current extent of development is maintained so that the thousands of apprentices trained through the government’s funds have employment opportunities now and into the future.

To ensure a good flow of construction work into the future the state government needs to also manage demands from councils to increase infrastructure levies and affordable housing levies that will add to the cost of housing and slow down the supply of new housing.

CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO.