A wave of building company bankruptcies is exacerbating a shortage of new homes and a skills shortage, as trade apprentices at failing firms are forced to leave employer-sponsored TAFE courses.
The problem of workers being out of work has been exacerbated by a collapse in housing construction, with only 163,320 housing units approved in the 2023-24 financial year, the weakest result since 2011-12, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on Tuesday.
