Construction skills body points to soaring CQ demand
By Industry Queensland
Demand for paving and surfacing labourers in Central Queensland has rocketed by more than 270 per cent since the start of the COVID pandemic, according to Construction Skills Queensland.
It is one of the five top growing construction jobs in the region, along with gardeners and general construction labourers – roles that have seen a 238 per cent lift and 213 per cent lift in demand respectively (see full table below).
CSQ chief executive officer Brett Schimming said the Central Queensland construction sector would continue to operate under intense pressure over the next 12 months as house building demand competed with strong infrastructure activity.
“The local house building sector was thrown into overdrive due to HomeBuilder and other government incentives released at the peak of the pandemic,” Mr Schimming said.
The steep run-up in approvals has left behind a large backlog of projects that will keep builders and trades busy well into 2023.
Top 5 Growing Construction Jobs in Central Queensland
| Occupation | May-22 | Pre-COVID average | Growth |
| Paving and Surfacing Labourers | 650 | 180 | 273% |
| Gardeners | 1630 | 480 | 238% |
| Labourers | 400 | 130 | 213% |
| Painting Trades Workers | 660 | 290 | 130% |
| Other Construction and Mining Labourers | 620 | 290 | 115% |
“$730 million of housing projects were approved for Central Queensland during the pandemic, and a lot of those projects are still outstanding due to material delays and labour shortages,” Mr Schimming said.
“At the same time, the infrastructure sector is thriving and needing a steady supply of skilled workers to keep their projects moving on schedule.
“CSQ estimates that there is currently over $49 billion in major projects to be delivered in the Central Queensland region.”
Central Queensland construction workers are being urged to tap into $2.1 million of funded training in a bid to meet increased demand for skilled workers.
CSQ has released a $51 million 2022-23 Training Plan to boost the state’s workforce capacity.
Mr Schimming said the training and upskilling would be a lifeline to the busy construction industry.
“CSQ is putting the call out to trade and site workers, and sub-contractors, to add to your skill set, get new work tickets and take advantage of this opportunity,” he said.
Mr Schimming said CSQ had recorded elevated demand for training in the CQ region.
“CSQ has already registered an increase in local training enrolments, and we’ve seen strong growth in employment of construction apprentices,” he said.
“There are currently 1210 apprentices employed in Central Queensland – that’s a 44 per cent increase from pre-COVID.”
