TAFE NSW Nowra student Reana Bidois is studying a Certificate III in Carpentry.
TAFE NSW is training the next generation of tradies, as the nation’s construction industry continues to thrive following a record year of house builds commencing in 2021. Source: Timberbiz
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is forecasting 125,000 houses are expected to begin construction this year across Australia, following a record 149,000 last year. This is driving hot demand for tradespeople until at least the end of 2023.
HIA’s General Manager Apprentices, Russell Holtham said TAFE NSW plays a critical role in the training of HIA apprentices in residential building trades in NSW.
“Vocational education is a key pathway into the construction industry. TAFE NSW offers students an invaluable combination of theory and practical experience, which combined with HIA’s apprentice offering means graduates are ready to hit the ground running.”
The NSW government last year announced support for 3,000 training places for women in trades with the funding intended to remove the cultural and social barriers keeping women from building sites.
New research reveals women comprise only 2% of workers in construction. TAFE NSW provides women with pathways into a range of construction trades and already boasts a comparatively higher proportion of female enrolments in construction courses at 9%.
TAFE NSW Nowra student Reana Bidois is studying a Certificate III in Carpentry and is an apprentice with BPL Contracting in Nowra and on the South Coast.
Reana is among a growing number of women who are capitalising on the construction boom to gain new skills, qualifications, and a new career in an industry with variety and opportunity for growth.
Since she was a teenager, she’s wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and learn a trade.
The full article will be published in the next edition of Australasian Timber Magazine.
