98,869 jobs in NT.
The Northern Territory will have just half the number of workers it needs for major resource construction projects over the next financial year as Australia continues to experience shortages of welders and boilermakers required for the mechanical phases of major LNG developments, the latest report says.
The most recent AMMA (Australian Mines and Metals Association) Pit Crew Labour Market Index report showed that demand for resource construction workers on resource and infrastructure projects remains strong with 98,869 workers expected to walk through the gates of significant mining and energy projects during 2013 and demand for labour not expected to peak until 2014.
The report says despite the massive growth in the mining industry and the subsequent cooling off phase, Australia still has a huge amount of resource work in the pipeline, including 259 already approved projects worth $446.4 billion and 163 other potential projects worth $282.4 billion.
While most of this activity resides in Queensland and Western Australia, AMMA director Tara Diamond believes the supply of labour will be sufficient to meet demand in these states during 2013/14.
50% shortfall in available workers for NT projects
Instead, Diamond says extreme construction job shortages exist in the Northern Territory, where she says the available supply of trade and construction workers could fall 50 per cent short of demand over the coming financial year.
“The AMMA Pit-Crew Labour Market Index shows demand for skilled construction and trade workers in the Northern Territory is driven by 35 major resource and infrastructure projects totalling $43.5 billion in capital value,”� she says.
“These projects mark a strong emergence of the Territory`s LNG and minerals sector and will see a peak of 5,644 workers needed to build new projects over the next 12 months. However our forecasting indicates the available supply of construction and trade workers in the Northern Territory might be as low as just half that demand.”�
According to the report, demand for resource construction workers is being driven by heavy investment in LNG projects.
In terms of specific trades, it says a shortage of 4,000 specialist welders and boilermakers is expected during the next financial year.
Other trades in high demand are;
- pipe fitters
- mechanical fitters
- electrical trades
- crane operators
- riggers and scaffolders
- production managers
- experienced production operators; and
- engineering technicians
The report says meeting the demand for highly skilled workers will require a team approach to allow the free-flow of workers between states and will require ongoing investment in training and skills development.
The latest report comes as a surge in demand for construction worker jobs in NT.� Activity rises in almost every sector and Darwin reaps the benefits of the Ichthys LNG project, which by itself will need a peak construction workforce of nearly 3,000.
Reference: Jobs in NT | Construction jobs surge in Norther Territory
