Future-proofing the building industry

Future-proofing the building industry

Milestone Homes is urging the residential construction industry to secure its future by investing in the next generation of builders.

Milestone Homes business development manager David Wilson says: “Young builders are key to the future of our industry – despite the current downturn in demand for new homes, we must continue to foster career opportunities in the building and construction sector.”

Loss of skilled workers and trainees now will impair the productivity of the industry when demand picks up again, he says, and leave New Zealand ill equipped to improve the quality of its housing stock.

“It’s vital to develop the workforce now so when the tide turns, we have skilled tradespeople with the knowledge and expertise to build the high quality homes New Zealanders want to live in.”

His comments follow the publication of figures showing the number of new homes being built in New Zealand is still falling. Earlier this month the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research warned that poor consents may put around 20,000 construction sector jobs at risk[i]. At the same time, the body responsible for training the next wave of builders predicts the industry will need to recruit up to 34,000 workers in the next three years to replace workers leaving and meet the eventual growth in demand[ii].

The Canterbury earthquake has seen immediate demand for skilled tradespeople to shore up damaged buildings and walls and the reconstruction effort will require considerable manpower.

However, the long-term workforce outlook is not good. Slow growth in apprentice numbers and a continued increase in the number of building workers heading across the Tasman in search of better pay will only exacerbate future skill shortages in the industry.

Wilson says: “We have a responsibility to hang on to these people and start training new recruits as we work our way out of the recession. If not, there is a real danger there will be a serious lack of tradespeople in the next property boom.”

ENDS

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