Engineers aren’t the only construction workers in high demand, as more jobs become available across the sector. This article focuses on vacancies in Queensland.
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It’s good news for construction workers looking for employment in the sector, as a flood of jobs become available, thanks to record levels of building activity across Australia. The construction sector has swelled by more than 100 000 workers over the last year, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which puts the number of people employed in the sector at a seasonally adjusted record of 1.168 million. There’s been an influx of activity in construction overall, but particularly in the engineering sector, thanks to major projects that are entering the pipeline. We previously explored the impact of this explosion on engineering firms, which are struggling to fill positions across the nation. But other construction sectors are being impacted by growing pressure in the job market too. In Queensland, commercial building activity is being fuelled by retail upgrades, school packages and community infrastructure packages. There’s also the 2018 Commonwealth Games, which is driving activity on the Gold Coast. The Sunshine Coast can expect a reasonably strong commercial and residential market in the coming years. Meanwhile, the civil construction market is being lifted by greater investment in mining, infrastructure, roads and bulk earthworks.
Employers in Queensland are keen to fill various construction roles, including:
– Civil project engineers for the Sunshine Coast
– Commercial estimators for the Sunshine Coast
– Commercial site managers for the construction of multiple unit developments – Traffic design engineers to redirect traffic in preparation for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast – Estimators to work on commercial projects in Brisbane – Site managers for commercial projects on the Gold Coast – Project managers for upgrades to public water utilities – Project managers to work on other construction and infrastructure projects – Roads engineers for the Gold Coast and Northern NSW – Estimators who can cover all areas of a bid – Contracts administrators
Across the nation, there appears to be high demand for project managers, construction managers and contract administrators.
But it’s not all good news – since many candidates are lacking the specialised skills that employers are seeking.
In its latest report, recruitment firm Hays said that “Australia’s construction industry remains a strong economic driver” but there’s a growing “mismatch” between the skills that employers want versus the skills that job seekers possess.
