Construction is the career path you’ve been looking for

By Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn. Extracts from this OP-ED were published in the Australian on 9 July 2026

Deciding on that first career pathway in the senior years of school can be daunting for students and parents.

Some doors are open, and others start to close.

And there can be both fads and institutional bias to contend with. Anyone up for a career as a social media influencer?

Australian governments, schools, and institutions have been throwing their weight behind university pathways now for decades; however, the shine is starting to fade.

The difference between the pathways in earning capacity is starting to come into sharper focus. After three or four years in a university degree or an apprenticeship, the university student typically finishes up with a debt in the tens of thousands, while a carpentry apprentice can have already earned around $200,000.

95 per cent of trade apprenticeship completers land jobs, while many university graduates struggle to find a suitable entry-level role.

In a time when office jobs, and especially entry-level roles, are under threat from artificial intelligence, building and construction trades are offering much more attractive job security. Government analysis reveals we will have massive shortfalls in the building and construction workforce in the coming years, around 110,000 in housing and 300,000 in infrastructure. In fact, around 1 in 11 jobs are in the sector, so there’s enormous scope for anyone starting their career, with a wide range of entry points for many different types of candidates.

There is no single way in, either. School-Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships allow a Year 11 or 12 student to earn a wage and build real qualifications while finishing school. VET-in-Schools programs offer lower-stakes exposure before a student commits to anything, and the traditional full-time apprenticeship remains the standard post-school route.

Beyond these, pathways such as pre-apprenticeships, group training organisations and entry as a mature-age career changer all lead to the same qualifications. The job for the adults guiding a student’s decision is making sure that the full range, and the genuine financial case behind it, is actually on the table, not just the version of “the trades” most people still picture.

Many of us rarely stay in one role throughout our careers and instead reinvent our careers as our interests and experience evolve. The building and construction is well matched for this modern-day reality.

Construction spans more than 60 registered occupations, from hands-on trades such as carpentry, electrical work, plumbing and bricklaying, through to highly technical professional roles including structural and civil engineers, quantity surveyors and construction project managers.

Whether a student thrives with their hands, or their computer, or somewhere in between, there are multiple industry ‘on and off ramps’ where hard workers can find credible and well-paid roles that rely on transferable knowledge of the industry.

While people typically think of the more traditional trades, digital tools are also becoming central to how buildings are designed and delivered, from Building Information Modelling through to sustainability compliance software, and the sector still has real headroom here as it moves to adopt new ways of working.

Practical maths, engineering skills and business acumen are also learnt both on-site and through adult education pathways.  Careers such as quantity surveyors, structural and civil engineers, and project managers have built their careers on construction trades.

Finally, in a world where so many people find the life of an office worker unfulfilling, heading to the same desk day-in, day-out, there’s a lot going for the tangible achievements of building a house, a bridge, or a hospital.

While some career pathways may be subject to fads or fashions, what never goes out of style is starting a career in an industry that offers variety, offers job security and opens up doors to so many possibilities.

Students – your country needs you!