New approaches to solving the skills shortages in the New Zealand construction industry

Purpose - In the light of international skills shortages at different levels of the construction industry, this research assesses solutions to skills shortages in the construction industry drawing on research from New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach - The way in which the research objectives were achieved was a mix of qualitative and quantitative research. Grounded theory technique was used in the research. Findings - New Zealand currently uses a variety of techniques to tackle construction industry skills shortages, such as increased wages, overseas recruitment and reformatting training requirements, but still there is a shortage of skilled and semi-skilled workers for the construction industry. The results of the in-depth interviews of leading practitioners in New Zealand show how different sectors - government, education and industry - provide different solutions but that ultimately a joint focus on education and training will have the biggest long-term impact on skills shortages. Practical implications - The paper serves as an illustration to other countries on how New Zealand is solving the construction industry skills shortages. These solutions have practical implications for other countries. Originality/value - The research provides an original assessment of the types of shortages faced in New Zealand and the ways in which they can be solved.