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Calling Skilled Tradies: Australia's Construction Shortage Could Reach 935,600 Workers by 2035

News · 2026-09-10 · 4 min read

If you are a carpenter, electrician, plumber or builder who has thought about working in Australia, a new industry report gives you good reason to take a closer look at your options.

The report estimates that Australia's shortage of tradies and construction workers could grow to roughly 935,600 by 2035 unless major action is taken. Even if every reform it recommends goes ahead, the country would still be more than 84,000 workers short. For trade-qualified people overseas, whether your experience comes from projects in the Middle East, back home in the Philippines or somewhere else, this points to demand that is expected to last for years, not months.

Big plans, too few hands

This is not a short-lived shortage caused by a single major project or a hiring burst after the pandemic. Master Builders Australia, the industry body, says the real problem is structural: Australia is not training new tradespeople fast enough to match the volume of work coming. Around $242 billion of infrastructure spending is planned across the next five years, on top of a long, multi-decade transition to net-zero energy infrastructure. Housing, rail, road and renewable energy projects are all competing for a limited and shrinking group of qualified workers.

Infrastructure Australia has done its own modelling too, which points to a 300,000-worker gap around 2027, when the national infrastructure pipeline is expected to peak. Demand is going up while supply is going down, and migration is one of the few tools that can respond quickly.

Signs that Australia is opening up to more tradies

Much of the public discussion is about training more locals, but for workers abroad the migration figures are the part to watch:

• The number of skilled visas granted to construction workers has tripled since 2019.
• A total of 15,524 skilled construction visas went out in the 2024–25 financial year, the highest yearly figure in a decade.
• In this budget cycle, the federal government has set aside $85 million to speed up skills recognition for migrants who are already in Australia.
• New apprentices going into housing construction can now receive a $10,000 incentive, and Free TAFE access has been expanded.

Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles has made it clear that increasing skilled migration is a central part of the government's plan, working side by side with local training rather than serving as a backup.

Three things to keep in mind

1. Demand looks set to last. Because the gap is projected to continue until 2035, the need for carpentry, electrical, plumbing, civil construction and related trades is not expected to disappear when one project finishes.
2. Getting your skills recognised is a growing priority. According to the report, making recognition simpler for qualified workers already in Australia could free up more than 18,000 workers almost straight away. That suggests Australia is working to shorten the distance between being trained overseas and being allowed to work in your trade there.
3. Current policy settings are supportive. With visa numbers tripled, record yearly grants and new funding for faster skills recognition, the report sees this as a favourable period to begin a skilled migration application.

Your next steps, one at a time

Australia's construction and infrastructure plans are moving faster than its local workforce can keep up with, and even the most hopeful reforms will not fill the gap by themselves. That is why skilled migration for tradies is treated as essential, not optional. If you hold a trade qualification, it is worth researching the visa pathways, getting your documents and work references in order, and looking into skills recognition. Take it step by step, keep your family in the loop, and only deal with agencies and employers you have checked carefully.

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