National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce Technical Paper

Table 2:
Projected demand for construction skills
Projected short tem construction jobs
over the period 2009–2016
Occupation
Low Medium High
Managers 10,485 17,329 25,994
Professionals 10,137 16,755 25,133
Technicians and tradespeople 23,664 39,112 58,668
Community and personal service workers 234 386 579
Clerical and administrative workers 12,596 20,819 31,229
Sales workers 842 1,391 2,086
Machinery operators and drivers 21,892 36,184 54,275
Labourers 21,452 35,456 53,184
Other 1,679 2,776 4,163
TOTAL 102,981 170,209 255,313
Sources: Taskforce analysis of ABS 2010a and ABS 2010b
Detailed projections by occupation arising from major project construction activity against
this methodology are presented at Appendix I. Over the projection period, for all scenarios,
there is likely to be strong demand for fabrication engineering tradespeople (including
welders) plumbers, mechanical engineering tradespeople, electronics and telecommunications
tradespeople and electricians. The projections also suggest strong demand for machine
operators and truck drivers. These jobs will become available for various periods between
2010 and 2016.
Under the Taskforce’s medium-growth scenario, the maximum number of labourers required
during the peak is likely to be around 9,000 (ie 20 per cent of all construction jobs).
Consistency with state and territory projections for construction employment
The Taskforce’s medium and high growth scenarios for construction labour demand are
broadly consistent with projections prepared for the Western Australian Government by
Pit Crew Management and Consulting Services (Pit Crew) and projections prepared by the
Queensland Major Contractors Association (QMCA).
Analysis by the Government of Western Australian
The Government of Western Australian engaged Pit Crew to produce a six-monthly industry
report forecasting the demand for labour on major construction and engineering projects in
Western Australia over the next three to five years (the Pit Crew Report WA 2009 in Western
Australia Department of Training and Workforce Development 2010).
The Pit Crew report includes the outcomes of modelled construction labour demand for
69 Western Australian projects with a total capital value of $169.2 billion. This includes
$104.7 billion worth of projects already under construction or approved and that Pit Crew
anticipates will proceed. By comparison, the ABARE database identifies 119 Western Australian
projects in the advanced and less advanced stage. Not all projects have a current known value
(ABARE 2010a).
16 | National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce: Technical Paper