Property Council Chief Executive Mike Zorbas said the reworked occupations list, alongside the government’s emphasis on more TAFE training, can help close the genuine skills shortage in the construction industry.
“Over the last twenty years, only two per cent of migrants coming to Australia had visas for construction jobs during a surge of welcome population growth, mega projects and housing need,” Mr Zorbas said.
“Industry urgently requires more workers to plug construction skills gaps and deliver critical infrastructure and housing projects already in the pipeline.
“Streamlining the visa process to attract additional talent and skills needed to build the homes we need is vital.
“We need to become a magnet for global construction talent, and we commend the government for listening to the concerns of the industry and taking these first steps,” he said.
