Is Australia's building gap a chance for Vietnamese plumbers and carpenters?

Tips · 2026-09-30 · 3 min read

Are you a carpenter, electrician, plumber or other trade worker in Vietnam? Here is some news from Australia. A new housing industry report says the country is short of about 83,000 skilled workers in residential construction. That means homes for families are not being built as fast as the country wants.

What the report says

The report was released at Parliament House before National Tradies Day. Its main point is easy to understand. Land, money and planning approvals are not enough. A country also needs skilled people to build.

The industry says the shortage is slowing the delivery of new homes. It is also pushing up building costs. That makes it harder to improve housing affordability.

Many industries need the same workers

Home building is not the only sector that needs trades. Big infrastructure projects need them too. So do renewable energy, technology and digital economy projects. The report says that moving workers from one sector to another only moves the gap. Australia needs more skilled people in total.

For migrants, this is a useful sign. Trade workers may find chances in more than one industry, not only in housing.

What the industry wants to do

The report lists five priorities:

Raise the standing of trade careers.
Help more apprentices start and finish.
Support builders who train apprentices.
Build stronger paths from school into trades.
Invest in the capacity of the workforce.

Most of these steps are about training young Australians. But training takes many years, and the gap is large. So skilled migration is likely to stay part of the discussion.

What can you do now?

You do not need to move fast. Good preparation takes time. These steps may help.

Find out how your trade is assessed. Trade qualifications from Vietnam are usually assessed again in Australia, through a skills assessment.
Keep papers that show your experience, such as employer letters and project lists.
Get certified English translations of Vietnamese documents when the visa rules ask for them.
If a police certificate is requested, a Vietnamese citizen usually needs the Judicial Record Certificate No. 2 (Phiếu lý lịch tư pháp số 2).
Think about an English test, such as IELTS or PTE, if a visa or employer needs one.

Rules change, so please check the current occupation lists and visa settings on the Department of Home Affairs visa listing before you decide.

A note about staying safe

Some employers who cannot find staff may sponsor skilled workers, but this is not certain. Deal only with licensed organisations and real employers. Never pay an unlicensed broker. Be careful with anyone who asks for money upfront to secure a job or a visa.

The message is hopeful but honest. Australian construction needs skilled hands, and that need is unlikely to disappear soon. Prepare step by step, and ask a registered migration professional for advice about your own case.

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