‘Up to 100 apprentices’; stadium enticing young tradies to stay

The Macquarie Point stadium will support the state’s construction industry and keep new apprentices, Master Builders Tasmania says. Hear what the apprentices have to say.

Master Builders Tasmania CEO David Clerk, Devils footballer and 2nd year plumbing apprentice Halle Whitehead, 3rd year carpentry apprentice Ben Shea and Property Council Tasmanian Executive Director Rebecca Ellston at Macquarie Point. Picture: Chris Kidd

Second-year plumbing apprentice and Tasmanian Devils footballer Halle Whitehead is excited about the potential to play and build the proposed Macquarie Point stadium.

“It’s unbelievable, it’s something you don’t see every day and especially for people down here being able to build something like that,” she said.

Ms Whitehead is part of the new workforce of tradies Master Builders Tasmania CEO David Clerk believes will benefit from the stadium build.

Devils footballer and second-year plumbing apprentice Halle Whitehead and third-year carpentry apprentice Ben Shea at Macquarie Point. Picture: Chris Kidd

“We think that in terms of supporting our industry, particularly construction as it relates to industrial and commercial construction, you couldn’t get a better project,” he said.

“There’ll be a lot of people looking to Tasmania to understand and watch the development and progress of this construction.

“We think that at its peak, there could be up to 100 apprentices working on this site.

“We see the opportunity for new apprentices to get involved with a project that may provide skills that they otherwise may not get exposure to.”

Mr Clerk said the state’s workforce was not “where it needs to be” to support the project currently, stating he would work with the Tasmanian Government to plan for workforce growth.

Renders of Macquarie Point stadium. Picture: Cox Architecture. **Hobart stadium, Mac Point stadium, new Tasmania AFL stadium

“Given the shortage of large commercial projects in the state, a project of this scale just provides great opportunities to encourage students coming through school that may be thinking about a trade getting involved with an apprenticeship to aspire to be involved with a project like this

“We’ve got a couple of years to get things together and we believe that working with the state to understand exactly the skills that are required, we can make sure that our pathways programs are correct, we can make sure that we look at things like skilled migration, we can look at mature age apprenticeships, to kind of support when we need to do.”

The potential for an interstate construction management company or interstate workers to be involved with the project wasn’t ruled out by Mr Clerk.

This comes after the release of concept designs for the stadium over the weekend, prompting concerns from opposition leader Dean Winter that the construction jobs and contracting roles stayed on the island.

Renders of Macquarie Point stadium. Picture: Cox Architecture. **Hobart stadium, Mac Point stadium, new Tasmania AFL stadium

Property Council of Australia’s Tasmanian executive director Rebecca Ellston said the stadium was the kind of “bold thinking and bold vision” Tasmania really needs.

“Ten years ago, you saw seven to 10 cranes in the sky at any time in Hobart,” she said.

“What we’ve really been lacking are steel caps and hard hats on the ground around Tasmania.”

Ms Ellston said there was excitement from the Property Council on the business opportunities from the stadium precinct’s plan and the proposed Rosny High Performance Centre.

“Things like that really creates some momentum and that certainty that we need for investment to come back to Tasmania that we’re not seeing at the moment,” she said.

Tradies like third-year carpentry apprentice Ben Shea said the stadium build would keep more of his fellow apprentices in the state.

Master Builders Tasmania CEO David Clerk, Devils footballer and 2nd year plumbing apprentice Halle Whitehead, 3rd year carpentry apprentice Ben Shea and Property Council Tasmanian Executive Director Rebecca Ellston at Macquarie Point. Picture: Chris Kidd

“I know a lot of good workers that have left the state purely because there isn’t the money, there isn’t the opportunity and there isn’t a future down here in terms of building or if there is, there’s going to be a lot of ups and downs.” he said.

“Projects like this are really going to kick things off and hopefully be a catalyst for other projects that continue to grow the state.”

Originally published as ‘Up to 100 apprentices’; stadium enticing young tradies to stay