The Australian Constructors Association (ACA), the body that represents the country’s largest construction and infrastructure businesses, welcomed the announcement by the NSW Government of the introduction of a new apprenticeship scheme to boost the number of apprentices in the State.
The ACA’s Executive Director, Lindsay Le Compte, said that the scheme, which will eliminate training fees, will provide a very significant boost to the building and construction industry and comes at exactly the right time for constructors involved in the delivery of the State’s most significant infrastructure pipeline in many decades.
“The ACA has entered into a Compact with the NSW Government to address skills shortages in the occupations that are central to infrastructure projects and this announcement will be a catalyst for the industry to take on and train new apprentices at a time when they are most needed.
“There is a pipeline of infrastructure and related work in NSW that will stretch for more than a decade and require many thousands of new apprentices to be trained. It is an exciting time for those who are thinking about an apprenticeship to build a new career.
“This decision recognises the need for more skilled workers and follows the recent release by the Premier of the Government’s 10-point Action Plan for managing the infrastructure pipeline. It is a further example of the collaboration between the industry and the Government to deliver much needed infrastructure to the community,” Mr Le Compte said.
Source: ACA