finance

Workforce Development Encounters Headwinds From Housing and Cost Pressures

Canberra's push to expand its workforce under the National Skills Agreement contends with persistent barriers around housing availability and living expenses.

By Canberra Business Desk · Published 25 July 2026

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The ACT Government aims to grow Canberra's total workforce to 300,000 by 2030 through the National Skills Agreement, which provides over $24 million in matched funding for TAFE Centres of Excellence focused on the net zero economy transition. This target comes as workforce shortages continue, driven by housing availability and costs, high cost of living including childcare, and salary affordability for lower-skilled roles.

Shortages Linked to Housing and Living Costs

Key drivers of current workforce shortages in Canberra include housing availability and costs, high cost of living including childcare, and salary affordability for lower-skilled roles. These factors affect employers' ability to fill positions across sectors, even as training programs seek to build local skills. The ACT Building and Construction Training Fund Authority offers up to $8,000 in incentives to construction employers for taking on apprentices in the first year, supplemented by potential $1,500 Australian Government commencement payments, yet broader affordability issues remain a constraint.

Skilled to Succeed Strategy and Funding Commitments

Skilled to Succeed serves as the ACT's primary strategy, committing to provide College of Information Technology with at least 75% of government VET funding and delivering thousands of Fee Free TAFE places in renewable energy, cyber security, and care sectors. Over 3,700 free training places have been delivered through the JobTrainer initiative since 2020 to support young people and jobseekers in areas of local skill need. These measures form part of efforts to address skill gaps under the National Skills Agreement.

Outlook for Addressing Barriers

Continued implementation of the Skilled to Succeed strategy and associated incentives will focus on expanding training access while navigating the identified cost pressures that influence workforce participation. Employers and training providers can access details on available supports through ACT Government skills resources to align with these priorities.

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