BuildSkills Australia's Housing Workforce Capacity Study 2025 presents a comprehensive roadmap for mobilising Australia’s residential construction workforce to meet the federal government’s ambitious target of building 1.2 million new homes by 2029 under the National Housing Accord. The report estimates that an additional 116,700 workers – representing a 24% increase over business-as-usual projections – will be required to meet this goal.
Drawing on extensive modelling and consultation with over 400 stakeholders nationwide, the study identifies five key channels for workforce expansion: boosting apprenticeship completions, increasing female participation, leveraging immigration, improving productivity, and enhancing training system capacity. Each channel is supported by detailed policy options designed to unlock latent labour potential and ensure the construction sector can respond dynamically to elevated housing demand.
The report emphasises that market forces alone will not deliver the required workforce uplift at the necessary speed or scale. Instead, deliberate and targeted policy action is needed to reduce barriers to participation, improve training outcomes, and support workforce mobility. The accompanying Policy Playbook offers 20 actionable strategies for government and industry, including payroll tax relief for apprentice employers, a national construction careers initiative, streamlined migration pathways, and a national mutual recognition scheme for skilled trades. It argues that by aligning policy with practical pathways for workforce growth, Australia can not only meet the Housing Accord’s targets but also build a more resilient, inclusive, and productive construction sector for the future.
For more on the BuildSkills Jobs and Skills Council, please visit https://buildskills.com.au/
