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Is Australia short of builders? A simple guide for Vietnamese workers

Tips · 2026-08-21 · 3 min read

Australia has made a big promise. It wants to build 1.2 million new homes by mid-2029. This is part of the National Housing Accord. Big infrastructure for the Olympics and other important projects are also underway. All of this needs many workers.

Fewer jobs overall, but still too few builders

The job market in Australia looks weaker now. The latest labour force figures for July 2026 show unemployment at 4.5 per cent. The economy lost around 15,800 jobs, mostly part-time. You might think this means employers can easily find staff. In construction, it does not.

The building industry is still short of hundreds of thousands of workers. New apprentices are also fewer. The number of people starting apprenticeships has fallen to a five-year low. So tomorrow's tradespeople are not arriving fast enough.

Why training alone is too slow

Many people in the industry ask the government to bring back apprenticeship incentives that were cut. They also want more Fee-Free TAFE places. TAFE is Australia's public system for vocational training. These are good ideas. But it takes years to train a new tradesperson. The need for homes is urgent now.

This is why skilled migration matters. The industry says the system does not work well enough yet. Processing is slow. Costs are high for employers and for applicants. The trades that Australia needs most do not always come first. These include carpenters, electricians, plumbers and site supervisors.

What industry leaders would like to see

These are requests, not final decisions. They are:

1. Faster processing for building jobs.
2. Clearer paths for tradespeople who are qualified overseas, with better recognition of overseas trade certificates.
3. Visa settings, including regional and employer-sponsored ones, that match where homes are needed most. This means more than the big cities.
4. Building jobs placed higher on the skilled occupation lists.

What can you do from Vietnam?

If you are a builder, carpenter, electrician or plumber, you can begin to prepare today. Here are simple steps:

• Keep your vocational certificates and work records together. Trade qualifications from Vietnam are usually assessed again in Australia, through a skills assessment.
• Ask for certified English translations of your documents when the visa rules ask for them.
• Check if you need IELTS or PTE.
• If a police certificate is requested, ask for the Judicial Record Certificate No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2).

Please be careful when you look for work. Deal only with licensed organisations and real employers. Never pay an unlicensed broker. Be wary of anyone who asks for money upfront to "secure" a job or a visa.

You can read about visa types on the Home Affairs visa listing. The need for builders will not end soon. Good preparation helps you move when your chance comes.

#builders #australia #housing #vietnamese workers #construction skills