More than 1.6 million Australians work in approximately 500,000 enterprises within the sector. Together these workers and companies contribute greatly to Australia’s infrastructure by underpinning the nation’s economic and social fabric.

Construction is the fifth largest employing industry in Australia, employing 974 000 people(or 9.2 per cent of the total workforce) as at February 2008. The Construction industry isstrongly influenced by economic cycles and therefore can be susceptible to skill shortages as well as oversupply for some skills. In recent years the Construction industry, in line with thestrong economy, has experienced sustained and robust employment growth.

The industry is divided into seven sectors: Building Construction, Non-Building Construction, Site Preparation Services, Building Structure Services, Installation Trade Services, Building Completion Services and Other Construction Services1. The sectors are built around the stage of construction rather than whether the work is in residential, non-residential or engineering/infrastructure.

The discussion below focuses on employment characteristics, trends and prospects in the Construction industry, and highlights sectors where job growth is strongest. The analysis of characteristics includes workforce ageing, employment share by gender, educational profile, weekly earnings, average hours worked, regional and occupational employment and vacancies.

Employment Growth
In recent years, employment in the Construction industry has shown very strong and sustained growth the five years to February 2008, employment in Construction rose by 250 000 or 34.5 per cent to 974 000, which is the highest level since the DEEWR trend series began in November 1984. This represents an average annual growth rate of 6.1 per cent in the past five years, the second strongest growth rate (next to Mining) of all 17 broad Australian and New Zealand Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) industries.

The building and construction industry involves much more than laying bricks or tiles, fixing pipes and constructing floors. It is a $60 billion a year, globally competitive business that employs nearly 1 million people (870,000) around Australia. A new trend in this sector is that a host of emerging technologies that has led to a demand for people with the right skills and qualifications.

There is also significant scope for self-employment in this sector, with about 26 per cent working for themselves and another 6 per cent being employers. The top regions in which to find work in building and construction are, in order: South and East Moreton Qld, Illawarra and South Eastern NSW, Fairfield-Liverpool Sydney, South and East Brisbane, North Perth, North Western Sydney, the Hunter Region, Richmond-Tweed Mid North Coast, Brisbane City Outer Ring and Outer Western Melbourne.

So if you enjoy working outdoors and with your hands, are interested in practical work and have an eye for accuracy, consider one of the many careers in the field of building and construction.

What careers are there?

• Carpentry and joinery - A carpenter works with timber and other building materials to install, repair or renovate structures and fixtures. They also may mve into cabinet and furniture-making. Qualified carpenters are considered to be very adaptable, with experience in transferring skills across materials and equipment.
• Glazing - Glaziers cut, shape and install glass used in windows, including shop-fronts, doors, walls, mirrors, display cabinets and furniture. A glazier undertakes the three main areas of: cutting glass, bevelling or smoothing edges, and fitting or glazing into prepared openings.
• Sign craft - Signwriters design, paint and build signs on various surfaces including brick, wood and plastic to attract attention and provide information -from business banner advertisements to wall murals. This career suits people that have visual flair, are good at design and drawing and have a talent for colour, form and style.

• Building companies
• Interior design and renovation companies
• Construction firms
• Government departments
• Signage and Outdoor Advertising firms
• Building materials / Hardware suppliers
• Entertainment Industry: Staging and Rigging
  
  

Carpenter DESCRIPTION - Carpenters construct, erect, install, finish and repair wooden and metal structures and fixtures on residential and commercial buildings. They may also work on large concrete, steel and timber structures such as bridges, dams, power stations and civil engineering projects. Further Info: Industry Snapshot Building Construction Carpenter DUTIES - A carpenter may perform the following tasks: construct formwork into which concrete is poured set out an outline of the building on the ground of the site, using string and pegs to allow for excavations build floors, wall frameworks (timber or metal), roofs and suspended ceilings, and lay timber floors read plans and specifications to determine the materials required, dimensions and installation processes install metal and timber windows, sashes and doors construct and erect prefabricated units, such as cottages and houses cut materials with hand and power tools, and assemble or nail, cut and shape parts install door handles, locks, hardware, flooring underlay, insulating material and other fixtures maintain and sharpen tools. [x] close

Plumber DESCRIPTION - Plumbers lay out, test and maintain pipes, fixtures, metal roofing, fittings, gas meters and regulators. Further Info: Plumber DUTIES - A plumber may perform the following tasks: prepare and/or study plans and specifications to work out the layout of plumbing systems and materials needed find and mark positions for connections, then cut holes through walls and floors to accommodate pipes, measure pipes and mark cutting or bending lines cut, thread and bend pipes, assemble and install piping, valves and fittings, join pipe sections and secure pipes test lines as required by local plumbing regulations install equipment such as boilers, pumps, heating and cooling systems, gas appliances, water tanks, water heaters, solar water heating systems, fixtures such as toilets, wash basins and industrial processing units maintain and repair plumbing systems. [x] close