﻿Mr SPEAKER: Question No 12, Jenny Salesa.
JENNY SALESA (Labour—Manukau East) to the Minister for Tertiary Education,
Skills and Employment: Is he confident in his oversight
of the tertiary education sector, given that over the next 5 years
there is estimated to be a 58% shortfall in the number of plumbers
required in Auckland alone?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment):
Overall, yes. The construction industry in Auckland is growing rapidly.
There have been an additional 25,000 construction jobs added
in the last 2 years. There has also been very big growth
in training, as well. In regard to plumbers in particular,
the figure that I have seen in the presentation I think
the member is referring to from Master Plumbers, Gasfitters
and Drainlayers talks of a need for around 600 more plumbers
in Auckland over the period 2013-2018. I think that
is entirely achievable because, for context, there are currently
around 2,500 people doing plumbing apprenticeships
or apprenticeship-type training around NZ in this area.
There are also big increases in the first-time enrolments for plumbing,
which reached 633 in 2014. So although the workforce in construction
is growing rapidly, I am confident that the response from trainees
and employers is also growing rapidly.
Jenny Salesa: Why is Auckland’s unemployment rate above
the national average, at 6.6%, while at the same time companies
in the construction industry are scrambling to find enough labourers?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I am not sure of the accuracy of the member’s statements,
but in terms of the growth in employment just under half
the growth of employment over the last 6 months has been in Auckland.
We have also seen very big increases in the construction sector
over that period. The member herself will be aware that
we have a number of initiatives in place, including the Māori and Pasifika
Trades Training Initiative—she has attended some of the presentations
in regard to that—which is recruiting young Māori and Pasifika,
in particular, into the trades, and that is proving to be successful.
Jenny Salesa: By what percentage has the annual number of apprentices
participating in industry training fallen since 2008?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I do not have the numbers with me since 2008,
because they did reduce during the global financial crisis,
as Mr Twyford referred to, but since 2013 we have seen an increase
of 12% in just 1 year from 2013 to 2014, and today there are around
42,000 people enrolled in apprenticeships
and apprenticeship-type training.
Jenny Salesa: After 8 years in the job as the responsible Minister,
what does he say to Steve Fowler of Macrennie Commercial Construction,
who says “There’s a general shortage across the board and that’s all skill sets”?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I think the member is very generous
about my length of tenure in the job, but leaving that aside,
for example we are seeing a rapid increase in the number of people
working in construction. I remember very similar comments
in the Canterbury rebuild back when we were told we would need to double
the size of the construction workforce in Canterbury
and it would not be possible. In actual fact, it happened,
with increases in training, with people returning to the workforce,
and in terms of migration as well. We are now seeing very rapid growth
in the sector in Auckland. The training system is responding effectively,
and the system is growing dramatically.
Jenny Salesa: Does he accept any responsibility for the skills shortage gap
in Auckland, as the Minister responsible for skills training,
or does he just agree with the people who have given up
relying on his Government and now say the best answer
is easier access to foreign workers?
Hon STEVEN JOYCE: With the greatest respect to the member,
the only people who have given up on this Government
are the Opposition members, because they do not make
any progress against it.
In relation to the work that is being done,
we are seeing rapidly increasing numbers of apprentices,
rapidly increasing numbers of people working in the construction workforce,
rapid increases in people in areas like Māori and Pasifika trades training—
and those things are all contributing to a growth
in the construction workforce to meet the needs of a rapidly
growing demand for building houses in Auckland.
Mr SPEAKER: That concludes Questions for Oral Answer.
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