Builders continue to back Key Apprenticeship Program

16 February 2026

Results from the first six months of the Federal Government’s Key Apprenticeship Program shows Master Builders’ strong advocacy for the extension achieved late last year was the right call for the building and construction industry. From 1 July 2025 to 1 January 2026, the program has seen 11,407 Housing Construction Apprenticeship commencements, with the top 5 occupations being:

• Carpenters and Joiners – 37.1 per cent.
• Plumbers – 20.6 per cent.
• Electrical Trades Workers – 15.7 per cent.
• Glaziers, Plasterers and Tilers – 5 per cent.
• Floor Finishers and Polishers – 4.4 per cent.

The Key Apprenticeship Program involves incentive payments for eligible employers and apprentices in housing construction with the goal of encouraging the growth of the workforce.

Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn at a recent media conference thanked the Government for listening and said that these commencement figures are a positive sign in efforts to rebuild the labour pipeline and to build more homes.

“These apprentices have great careers ahead of them with 95% of trade apprentices obtaining jobs after completing their training.

“We thank the Federal Government, and stress now that we have seen the results that it is important that these incentives for the construction industry are extended beyond December 2026, backed by significant reforms to the domestic apprenticeship track to increase completion rates and retention.

“Employers play a pivotal role in successful apprentice outcomes, and we need to ensure that they have the right tools and certainty required in setting apprentices up for lasting careers. It is therefore vital that the incentives are designed to support employers in retaining apprentices and providing quality on‑the‑job training.

“This includes ensuring funding settings are stable and predictable to support employer planning and apprentice retention across economic cycles, as well as recognising Group Training Organisations as critical workforce infrastructure that also supports apprentice commencements, mobility, retention and strong completion outcomes, particularly for small and medium employers.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Government to ensure the construction industry has the skilled workforce it needs, as without a strong pipeline of skilled apprentices, we simply can’t build the homes we need now and into the future,” concluded Ms Wawn.

Media contact: Dylan Hafey, Media Advisor

0497 330 064 | dylan.hafey@masterbuilders.com.au