Australian property and building expert the Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the announcement of a $45 million (£29 million) investment in skills training.
The residential and construction sector has had a prominent place in this round of funding from skills minister senator Chris Evans and this recognises the industry's potential importance to the Australian economy as a whole, it argued.
Shane Goodwin, managing director of the HIA, explained that the construction sector comprises a number of highly-skilled occupations which required investment to maintain their level of expertise.
"The products, systems and technologies utilised in residential construction are continually evolving and improving, which necessitates the continual improvement of skills within the workforce," he said.
Funds will go to training new staff as well as improving the knowledge of existing workers, added Mr Goodwin.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics' data for November showed unemployment in the country increasing to a seasonally adjusted 1.5 per cent, indicating the need to maintain a well-qualified workforce.
Posted by Steve Douglas
