More Australians are completing trade apprenticeships, offering fresh encouragement for an industry grappling with chronic labour shortages, but the construction sector says the gains remain well short of what is needed to meet the nation’s ambitious housing targets.
New figures released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) show trade apprenticeship completion rates continue to improve, building on recent growth in enrolments across construction-related qualifications. The data comes as governments and industry seek to address a shortage of skilled workers that has become one of the biggest constraints on home building.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) welcomed the latest results, saying they indicate recent investment in apprenticeships is beginning to strengthen the industry’s workforce pipeline.
HIA Executive Director for Future Workforce Mike Hermon said almost 59 per cent of trade apprentices were now completing their apprenticeship, while completion rates for key occupations including carpenters, joiners and electricians continued to improve.
“These figures tell a positive story,” Mr Hermon said. “More Australians are choosing a career in construction and, importantly, more of them are completing their qualifications.”
The latest completion data follows NCVER figures released last week showing architecture and building was the only major field of vocational education to record enrolment growth during 2025, adding almost 14,000 students despite overall VET qualification enrolments falling by more than 5 per cent.
NCVER’s latest report found the six-year completion rate for trade apprentices who began training in 2019 rose to 58.7 per cent, continuing an upward trend that has been evident since the 2015 intake. Completion rates were strongest among electricians, followed by mechanical engineering trades workers and carpenters and joiners.
Despite the encouraging trend, the industry says Australia remains well short of the workforce needed to build enough homes.
The HIA estimates another 83,000 skilled tradespeople are required if the country is to deliver the homes needed over coming years, including the National Housing Accord target of 1.2 million new homes by mid-2029. The association argues residential builders are competing for workers against major infrastructure, defence, mining, renewable energy and data centre projects, all drawing from the same pool of qualified tradespeople.
“Residential builders are no longer just competing with each other,” Mr Hermon said. “They’re competing with major transport infrastructure, renewable energy projects, AUKUS, mining developments, transmission upgrades and the rapid expansion of data centres.”
He said governments should build on recent progress by extending employer apprenticeship incentives, investing in training, improving apprentice retention and ensuring skilled migration complements, rather than replaces, Australia’s domestic workforce.
The latest NCVER data also highlights that while completion rates are improving, many apprentices still leave before finishing. Previous NCVER research found dissatisfaction with pay and working conditions, along with personal circumstances, were among the leading reasons apprentices failed to complete their training.
At the same time, those who do complete continue to enjoy strong employment outcomes. NCVER reported almost 95 per cent of trade completers were employed after finishing their apprenticeship, reinforcing the long-term value of vocational training in addressing Australia’s skills shortages.
The figures come as builders continue to warn that labour shortages remain one of the biggest barriers to increasing housing supply. Recent industry data shows Australia is already tracking behind the pace required to meet its national housing target, with workforce constraints repeatedly identified as a key factor limiting construction activity.
While more apprentices are entering the construction industry and more are completing their qualifications, the message from employers is that momentum needs to continue.
For an industry under pressure to build more homes while competing with some of the country’s largest infrastructure projects, the latest figures provide welcome progress, but not yet a solution.
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