New award-winning Apprentice Development Program addresses trade skills shortage
- 5 Jun 2025
Sydney, 5 June 2025: Lendlease has wrapped up its award-winning inaugural program aimed at boosting apprentice participation, retention, and completion rates across major NSW construction projects.
Designed to help tackle Australia’s construction trade skill shortages, the Apprentice Development and Peer Networking Program was developed in consultation with, and for apprentices, to better understand the challenges faced in completing their training. Currently, only about half of apprentices and trainees in infrastructure-related industries see their trade qualifications through to completion.
Backed by NSW Women in Construction Industry Innovation Program funding, the program has supported 22 participants, half of which were women, to help create a more inclusive workplace culture for apprentices to thrive in.
The 12-month program focused on non-technical skills for the workplace, such as managing workplace pressures, strengthening influencing capabilities, confidence building, adapting to change with resilience, and fostering collaborative and productive work environments.
Participants also gained access to professional coaches to guide them through personal and professional workplace challenges, in addition to a network of peers in the construction industry.
The Industry Innovation Program supports delivery on the five objectives of the $20.2 million Women in Construction Program, funded by the Minns Labor Government. The program was established to fund innovative ideas to support the creation of inclusive workplace cultures, attract and retain women to the construction sector and support female employees.
In November 2024, the Apprentice Development and Peer Networking Program won the NAWIC NSW Awards for Excellence Award for Team Innovation.
Lendlease is also participating in the Women in Construction Infrastructure Skills Legacy Program at Powerhouse Parramatta and Liverpool Health and Academic Precinct to pilot new targets of four per cent of the trades workforce to be women and seven per cent of the project workforce to be women in non-traditional roles.
“One of the ways we’re addressing the acute trade skills shortage is through our Apprentice Development Program, which aims to shift the culture in construction to more of a place where people want to join, stay and grow their careers.
“We hope the apprentices coming out of the program feel more empowered to complete their apprenticeships and pursue long careers in the construction industry, as we look to build a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture.”
“The Minns Labor Government is proud to support initiatives like Lendlease’s Apprentice Development Program through the Women in Construction Industry Innovation Program.
“Apprentices play a critical role in the future of the construction industry and it's important to ensure the workforce is both diverse and representative of the entire community of NSW.
“We must do everything we can to encourage all apprentices to stay in the sector. Programs like these find creative and innovative ways to tackle issues such as diversity and retention. I look forward to seeing industry reap the rewards in the coming years.
“I like that the program has a peer networking element because it’s a good way to connect with other, likeminded women working in the same industry. I think it will give myself and other newcomers some comfort and help inspire us to progress our careers, knowing we have a support structure in place.”
“With a $230 billion pipeline of public infrastructure work to deliver in the next few years, the construction industry needs to improve diversity, flexibility and female representation in workforce to address current and future workforce shortages. Lendlease’s Apprentice Development Program is a great example of how ACA members are working to address this issue.”
ENDS
For more information:
Ashley Chrysler
Senior Manager External Affairs – NSW/ACT/QLD
ashley.chrysler@lendlease.com
+61 472 653 297