A SHORTAGE of trade skills during the current housing boom has prompted the Hunter branch of the Housing Industry Association (HIA) to highlight the rewards of working within the building industry.
HIA will host a trade career event in Mayfield West on April 11 in a bid to encourage more younger people to consider an apprenticeship to address the shortfall.
Hunter HIA executive director Craig Jennion said the lack of trade skills across the country was one of the greatest challenges facing the building industry.
“There certainly is a shortage of apprentices broadly, and particularly in what is known as the wet trades – such as bricklaying and tiling – but there are certainly plenty of opportunities, considering the housing boom that we are currently experiencing, for people to think about working in the construction sector as a viable, long term career,” he said.
“We have lots of builders, and carpenters, and tradesmen getting older as a group who will be looking to retire in the next couple of decades, so there is always a strong need to replace those individuals with some younger people, and an apprenticeship would be a good start to addressing that.”
Mr Jennion encouraged students between years 10 and 12 to attend their event, where representatives from HIA, state training services and Hunter TAFE will speak alongside industry professionals about working in the industry and education pathways.
“An apprenticeship can be really rewarding in that you are learning skills on the job, and people are paid to learn. It’s an exciting way of starting a career which a lot of guys describe as a passion.
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