There’s been a lot of discussion of the housing target of 1.2 million homes built from 2024 to 2029, but general industry consensus is that it won’t happen. This is due to labour shortages, planning rules and time needed for rezoning, and even a “builder drought” in SE Queensland.
Some good news is that VET completion rates have increased. Recently released data from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) shows that qualification completion rates for vocational education and training (VET) students have risen. VET qualification completion rates 2022 shows that the qualification completion rate for students who commenced training in 2018 rose to 47.6%, 1.5 percentage points higher than completion rates for students who commenced their training in 2017. It’s a small win, but good news for the construction industry.
The NSW government is collecting feedback from female construction workers to improve working conditions in the industry. The survey aims to understand how gender influences people’s experiences and views on working in the industry, with a view to creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce. This survey can be completed here.
This week I attended the REwork APAC Summit 2023, held by ACIF partner FuturePlace. The presentations, and panel and group discussions were compelling, and I will go away with a lot of ‘food for thought’ on office use now and in the future. One speaker noted that some people are paying serious money for virtual houses and offices in the metaverse – crazy or the new normal?
Today is of course R U OK Day, and a time to reflect on our own, colleagues, family and friends’ mental health. An academic article on the effectiveness of the MATES in Construction suicide prevention program can be read here. This is a systematic review, and provides evidence of the benefits of the MATES program.
Best regards,
Dr James Cameron
ACIF Executive Director