As Australia continues to face labour shortages across the country, nearly a third of all employing businesses are experiencing difficulties with sourcing skilled workers. In a report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics earlier this year, industries such as hospitality, healthcare, labourers and trades are some of the hardest hit sectors facing staff shortages. With a scarcity of workers and skills available, employers in these industries need to be conscious of placing too many expectations on their existing workforce to meet customer demand.
This August marks the tenth Tradie National Health Month in Australia to promote the physical and mental wellbeing of our tradies, ensuring they stay safe on the job for years to come.
The Australian Government have recently identified the top 10 areas where the nation is experiencing a skills shortage, with construction and trade services contributing to 30% of the careers that made the list. While the demand for skilled workers in the trade services industry continues to increase, planned development projects are also on the rise. Commercial development companies like Ingenia Communities have experienced projects being delayed for as long as 36 weeks, the reason for the delays being reflective of the diminishing pool of skilled trade workers to call upon. Further to commercial development plans, when comparing private housing projects to pre-pandemic levels; 2022 has seen an increase of 80% in planned domestic works.
In addition to the growing skills shortage in the industry, several compounding issues such as increasing costs for materials and extended delays are adding more pressure to an already strained workforce. This combination of factors affecting the trade services industry has undoubtedly led to a knock-on effect where budgets are exceeding original quotes, delayed time frames and frustration between the customer and tradie. In some cases tradespeople are working a considerable amount of overtime, completing 30-40 jobs per week by working past 9pm each night,…simply to meet customer demand. The workload highlighted in this case underpins the importance of maintaining a safe workload for workers in the industry.
Tradie National Health Month emphasises the importance of tradespeople within our community and to encourage our tradies to look after their physical and mental health. Statistics from the industry show that almost 3 in 5 workplace injuries involve a tradesperson in Australia, despite only contributing to 30% of the nation’s workforce. With a scarcity of skilled staff available to call upon and a high chance of sustaining injury whilst on the job, it is the responsibility of employers within the industry to ensure they are promoting a safe workplace, encouraging staff to take positive steps in achieving better health outcomes and helping their staff to enjoy a healthy work-life balance.
We understand that times are tough and the InfoTrackGO team want to thank our tradies for all you do. We are offering you 10% off all eligible property searches until October 31, 2022.* Simply enter the code IGONSW or IGOQLD at the checkout on your next purchase. View more here about what property reports we offer in your state.
*Terms and conditions apply. Voucher code eligible for select NSW property reports only. Fair use applies and InfoTrackGO’s discretion in all matters is final.
