The construction industry generates annual sales of over $350 billion and contributes to about 8 percent of Australia's GDP. It is projected that the sector can expand steadily by 2.5 per cent in the coming years.
Jobs are expected to grow from 1.2 million jobs in 2018 to more than 1.3 million jobs by 2023.
The construction industry in Australia mainly comprises of Six Different sectors:
- Completion of Building Services
- Services of Building Installation
- Structure of Building Services
- General Construction and Demolition Services
- Building Surveying and Signage
- Specialist construction-related Services
Working in this industry offers a variety of professions. You may work in planning, surveying, structural construction, demolition, reconstruction, maintenance, repair, or painting and decoration, for example.
In-demand priority professions are bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, solid plastering, plumbing, and wall and floor tiling. A career path could be starting a job or running your own small business. Keep in mind, however, that the sector continues to be highly regulated with compulsory licenses for some occupations.
TOP 5 Occupations in Demand in This Industry
According to the job market, there are a few kinds of jobs that are highly demanded at this time which include:
- Contract for architectural, building and survey technicians
- Program and Project Administrators
- Civil Engineers
- Carpenters and Joiners
- Electricians
Top Skills Requirements
Skills are one of the main factors to work in this industry. Employers prefer someone who possesses skills like
- Language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) (skills of the foundation)
- Training versatility / Data literacy / Self-management and mental flexibility (adaptability)
- Mind-set architecture / Strategic thinking
- Program analysis / Problem-solving attitude
- Virtual Collaboration / Social Intelligence
- Technology
Legislation: National Construction Code
The National Construction Code (NCC) is a standardised collection of statutory requirements across Australia for the design, construction and efficiency of buildings and plumbing and drainage systems. This is issued and administered by the Australian Building Codes Board, on behalf of the Australian Government and in cooperation with each State and Territory Government.
In many sectors and occupations, this industry is heavily regulated, with regulations at all levels. The VET sector plays a significant role in licensing many workers in this field, with regulators requiring licensing to complete VET programs or subjects.
If you have any enquiry to the building administration of your jurisdiction, please select the relevant state or territory for your enquiry.
Why is the Construction Industry Heavily Regulated?
The risk factor is comparatively high in the construction industry resulting in a higher fatality rate in the workplace. So, all construction work must comply with the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act. The guidelines are listed in Safe Work Australia.
Requirements for Construction Works
An individual must complete an introductory safety training course called 'General Construction Induction Training' to be able to carry out construction work. It is often generally called training with the 'white card'. Many types of construction work, such as running other forms of cranes or performing scaffolding work, require a licence for high-risk work.
Licences and Permits to Work in this sector
There are various kinds of licences and permits required for different types of job profiles. Governments of the state or territory grant licenses and permits for the building and construction industries. To work in the sector, one may need licenses and permits, which include:
- Building permits
- Plumbing permits
- Fire Management Safety
- Gas fitting permits
- Electrical Permits
- Applications for development
- Zoning approvals
- Licenses for Heavy Vehicles
National police check Requirements
Each state and territory has its requirement for a National police check for licencing purposes. Not only that, a Criminal History Check may be mandatory for company registrations in some states like Victoria.
For applications to register, all company directors in the state of Victoria are expected to complete a Criminal History Check.
In some states like Tasmania, an applicant needs to declare if they are convicted of any criminal charges in the last 10 years (except minor traffic charges) or have any pending court proceedings. In case of a 'yes', they need to provide details of all relevant information. For more information, visit this site.
Conducting police checks
Building and construction sites are packed with heaps of costly equipment, personal property and proprietary data. Therefore, the employers want to ensure that they can trust anyone who steps foot on site.
This is a high priority to have police checks included in the pre-employment background process. Police checks serve to protect the employees, productivity, performance, resources, customers, culture and reputation of a company. The police checks aim to decide whether a person has a criminal record.
The employers can get information on any criminal charges, ongoing court proceedings or any findings of guilt when they complete a National police check on employers. The Police checks can be processed online through an Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) Accredited Provider like KONCHECK.
Obtain a Criminal History Check from KONCHECK
An applicant can quickly obtain a Criminal History Check in a 100% online way from KONCHECK before applying for a job. An employer can also partner with KONCHECK to carry out regular police checks on current and new employees to rule out possible threats of fraud, theft etc. Applying for a police check through KONCHECK is fast, affordable and secure.