Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) today announced the $37.6M training investment package as part of its 2019-2020 Training Plan, with specific training programs to match forecast industry activity and skilling requirements of major projects.

Sunshine Coast construction workers are being urged to take advantage of a $37.6M training package announced today to help deliver $3.7B in construction work over the next 12 months.

With a 4% increase in general construction activity forecast for the Coast, training and upskilling of the local workforce will be critical to ensure there are enough skilled workers to meet the increased demand.

Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) today announced the $37.6M training investment package as part of its 2019-2020 Training Plan, with specific training programs to match forecast industry activity and skilling requirements of major projects.

Speaking at an industry launch on the Sunshine Coast this morning, CSQ CEO Brett Schimming said the Coast region has a healthy pipeline of construction activity planned and underway.

“The Sunshine Coast is projected to deliver an estimated 3.7B in construction activity over the next 12 months, with 166 major construction projects confirmed for delivery over the next 2-3 years, with a further 177 potential projects planned but not yet committed.

“The major project pipeline is valued at between $2.2 billion (committed) and $7.6 billion (committed + potential) over the coming years.

“With the majority of these projects being residential construction projects, CSQ predicts continued strong demand for a wide range of building trades workers, including carpenters, electricians and plumbers.

“However, there are also a number of civil construction projects such as the Bruce Highway: Caloundra Road to Sunshine Motorway and Maroochydore City Centre and the planned Sunshine Coast Light Rail project in the mix.

“Our priority is making sure that these projects have a skilled and available local workforce to match changing project needs at various stages of their delivery and that is where this CSQ training investment comes in.

“It is also an opportunity for local workers to upskill by doing some training to take advantage of the new opportunities coming up in the Sunshine Coast employment scene,” he said.

The top 5 major construction projects committed or underway on the Sunshine Coast include:

Aura (Caloundra South) Master Plan $5,000,000,000 Underway
Harmony Master Plan (Palmview) $3,000,000,000 Underway
Bruce Hwy: Caloundra Rd To Sunshine Mwy $812,950,000 Underway
Maroochydore City Centre $250,000,000 Underway
Sunshine Coast Light Rail System $2,000,000,000 Planned