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Government of South Australia - Department of State Development

    Construction and infrastructure

    The construction industry makes a significant contribution to the South Australian economy and with a diverse pipeline of major infrastructure projects, strong demand for skilled construction workers will continue.

    Top 10 occupations in demand

    The state of the industry now

    $11.7Bcontribution to the economy in 2024-25
    8%of Gross State Product
    3rd largest industryby economic contribution
    87,900 people employed(ABS February 2026)
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    Interested in developing skills for jobs in construction?

    What’s driving workforce demand?

    South Australia continues to perform strongly in construction activity compared to other states. Workforce demand is influenced by concurrent major projects across transport, defence, energy, housing, health and education, which require similar skill sets.

    Recent growth has exceeded projections, particularly in residential construction, which has experienced notable workforce increases.

    Major government projects driving workforce demand

    Major government projects will require around 20,000 workers to fulfill immediate needs. These projects include:

    Skills in demand

    Demand is strongest for construction and electrical trades, although occupations with bachelor degree level pathways, such as construction managers and civil engineering professionals, are also expected to be in demand.

    When factoring in turnover and retirement there is a need to grow the number of new entrants to the industry, to meet immediate and future workforce needs.

    Top 10 occupations in demand and shortage status

    Occupation*Level of future demandYears in shortage**Training pathway
    ElectriciansStrongShortage since 2021VET
    Construction ManagersStrongShortage since 2021VET or Higher Education
    Carpenters and JoinersStrongShortage since 2021VET
    Structural Steel and Welding Trades WorkersStrongShortage since 2021VET
    Civil Engineering ProfessionalsStrongShortage since 2021VET or Higher Education
    GardenersStrongShortage since 2021VET
    Architectural, Building and Surveying TechniciansStrongNo shortageVET or Higher Education
    PlumbersStrongShortage since 2021VET
    Painting Trades WorkersStrongShortage since 2021VET
    Earthmoving Plant OperatorsStrongShortage 2021 to 2023VET

    * As defined in Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 2022 Australian Update

    ** According to Jobs and Skills Australia’s Occupation Shortage Lists (for South Australia)

    Skill shortage definition: Shortages exist when employers are unable to fill or have considerable difficulty filling vacancies for an occupation - or significant specialised skill needs within that occupation - at current levels of remuneration and conditions of employment and in reasonably accessible locations. Jobs and Skills Australia 2024.

    Construction Workforce Plan

    South Australia’s Construction Workforce Plan 2026-2031 builds on the breadth of existing government and industry investment to meet workforce needs, with a focus on three key outcomes:

    • strengthening pathways into the industry
    • widening the pool of available workers by targeting diverse cohorts, and
    • keeping and developing existing skills and talent.

    Support to develop skills or undertake training

    There are a number of VET and higher education pathways to a career in construction.

    Fee-free TAFE and VET options

    A range of building and construction courses are covered under the Fee-Free TAFE or vocational education and training (VET) initiatives.

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    TradeUp construction career promotion

    The Trade Up campaign, an initiative of the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) in South Australia, inspires young people and career-switchers with information about apprenticeships in the building and construction industry.

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    Born to Build career promotion

    The Born to Build campaign is a joint initiative by Master Builders SA and the South Australian Government, promoting careers in the building and construction industry.

    It aims to tackle severe trade worker shortages by connecting aspiring tradies with paid apprenticeships, industry mentoring, and job guarantees.

    Learn more