Civil contractors fear skills loss as pipeline dries up

— filed under: News, Print Edition

The CCF is calling on the Queensland government to fast-track its record commitment to public infrastructure, to help stabilise an industry that contributed $16.3bn to the economy in 2007/08.

We support the governments infrastructure program, and have been gearing up for it. But there has to be an acceleration in the rollout of projects to tender if our industry is going to be given the best chance of weathering the economic storm. This can be done without compromising quality or probity through a number of contracting mechanisms commonly used in Queensland, said CCF Queensland ceo, Robert Row.
Addressing the state conference, he warned that the civil construction industry faced a long term skills crisis in the wake of a slumping state economy. Positive action from government was the only way of ensuring there was not a sting in the tail for civil construction in the current downturn.
We have worked hard to address the underlying skills shortage in civil construction, and the
slowing of the infrastructure projects pipeline threatens to de-rail that.
The latest research by the CCF revealed that the workforce of its members had been slashed by 15% since the global downturn began nine months ago, and there are fears many younger employees will not return if they are forced out of the industry.
We run the risk of seriously impacting the industrys capacity once the economy begins to pickup again, he said.
The CCF report also revealed that trainees and apprentices will be some of the hardest hit by a further slowdown in construction activity. Coupled with an average age profile in civil construction, heavily weighted towards the baby boomers generation, the loss of young people has the potential to create a major skills shortage.
Government simply cannot afford to take a business as usual approach. We need detailed
project commitments as part of the solution to the short and long term challenges, presented by what has become an unprecedented problem in the global financial crisis..
Not only will this will help Queensland through the current crisis, but it will ensure we have the ability to deliver the public infrastructure that has been mapped out for the next phase of the states development.

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Civil contractors fear skills loss as pipeline dries up

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