- New construction apprenticeships surge as the Crisafulli Government delivers programs to get Queenslanders back on the tools.
- Record number of newly qualified Queenslanders set to join workforce as completions hit all time high.
- The Crisafulli Government is delivering a plan for Queensland's future by continuing to combat the skills shortage created during Labor's decade of decline.
The Crisafulli Government has delivered a record number of newly qualified Queenslanders and a surge in the number of new apprentices to ensure the State capitalises on a generational pipeline of construction and infrastructure work.
A decade of decline created Labor's skills shortage which had an estimated peak shortfall of 50,000 skilled workers, putting projects and budgets at risk.
That peak shortfall has eased by 15,000 workers so far under the Crisafulli Government and new apprentice data shows promising signs of Labor's mess being cleaned up.
In the first calendar year of the Crisafulli Government, construction apprenticeship commencements grew 5.4% compared to Labor's last year in office and that momentum is only growing.
10,381 new apprentices have begun training across Queensland so far this financial year-almost 3,000 of those in construction - marking a 27.4% increase for the sector.
2,136 utilities apprenticeships have been started, with electrical commencements up 15.7%.
There was also a record number of apprentice completions in 2025, with nearly 13,000 more Queenslanders qualified and ready to enter the workforce.
The surge in apprentice figures is turning the tide on Labor's skills shortage and is further proof the Crisafulli Government is delivering a plan for Queensland's future.
Initiatives like the new Career Taster program are being rolled out free of charge through TAFE Queensland to give Year 10 students hands-on experience in priority job sectors like healthcare and construction and building the pipeline for future apprenticeships.
Post-Covid stimulus from the then federal Coalition government drove a spike in Queenslanders taking up apprenticeships around 2021, and Crisafulli Government measures like wage subsidies for small businesses have helped capitalise on that to deliver the record number of completions.
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said while the figures were a great result, there's still a lot of work to be done to fix Labor's mess.
"Labor left us a skills shortage with a predicted peak the size of an empty Suncorp Stadium but there are promising signs we're getting the workforce back on track and building a pipeline of tradies who'll help deliver our generational infrastructure program," Minister Bates said.
"We are delivering the initiatives and incentives to draw more young Queenslanders into trades and taking the CFMEU's boot off the construction industry's throat so future workers feel safe going to work.
"Whether it's infrastructure for the 2032 Games, health projects or the thousands of homes we're unlocking for Queenslanders, we are building the Queensland of the future and creating the pathways for anybody who wants to help us do so."
The Career Taster program is a joint initiative of the Australian Government and Queensland Government which aims to support students to complete their training.
