Master Builders Australia boss’ call for more female tradies amid housing crisis

A construction boss says the failure to attract female tradies into the workforce is hampering Australia’s ability to build enough homes.

Labour pressures and a failure to attract female builders, carpenters and electricians are hampering Australia’s ability to build enough homes, as the country grapples with the soaring cost of renting and owning a home.

Master Builders Australia’s Denita Wawn said the industry needed to attract “all the potential workforce”, and not just men wanting to enter trades.

“We historically have only attracted 50 per of the population – males – … we need to be more focused on female participation,” Ms Wawn told the Senate Cost of Living Select Committee on Monday.

Ms Wawn, who helms Australia’s peak industry body for building and construction, said apprentices and host employers also required more support, including using subsidies throughout the duration of an apprenticeship, and not just the first year of the course, plus more flexibility in the four-year apprenticeship model.

“We have stuck to effectively our four-year apprenticeship model for many of our apprentices over a large period of time,” she said.

“While we should not move away from that, per se, there should be alternatives, and we should be looking at skill sets. For example, if you just want to do form work, then why can’t you do say a two-year training (course) rather than a full carpentry apprenticeship.”

Ms Wawn said housing supply was key to reducing the cost of housing and rent but the cost of construction also needed to be lower.

“It requires concerted efforts to reduce the cost and time it takes to build new homes,” she said.