ANZSCO3121-11Queensland
Architectural DraftspersonApril 2017
Labour Economics Office Queensland
Department of Employment
Current labour market ratingNo shortage
Previous labour market rating (April 2016)No shortage
Comments
Employers in regional and metropolitan areas reported no systemic difficulties in recruiting architectural draftspersons with82 per cent of vacancies filledwithin the six weeks of advertising.
Survey results
- The surveyresults showed that there was almost no variation between the proportion of vacancies filled in regional and metropolitan areas.
- Employers sought applicants with strong experience and demonstrated skills. Most either explicitly or by implication required formal qualifications such as Associate Degree or Diplomahowever some made no direct specification on qualification.
- Employers sought architectural draftspersons with commercial or domestic drafting experience and proficiency in software packages such as Revit or AutoCAD.
- The 2016-17 survey showed that Queensland recorded an increase of applicants and suitable applicants per vacancy when compared to the 2015-16 results.
- The 2015-16 survey reported 13.4 applicants and 1.7 suitable applicantsper vacancy.
- The 2016-17 survey reported 32.5 applicants and 2.4 suitable applicants per vacancy.
Unsuitable applicants
- The main reason applicants were considered unsuitable was lack of drafting experience relevant to the employer’s particular specialisations (for example,domestic housing, high-rise residential orcommercial).
- Others reasons applicants were regarded as unsuitable included a lack of proficiency with software drafting packages, anunwillingness to relocate, or a lack of formal qualifications.
Demand and supply trends
- Architectural draftspersons in Queensland are primarily employed in architectural services and demand is established on levels of activity in the building industry.
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) provided the following information
- Over the 12 months to March 2017 the flow estimate of the value of total building approveddecreased by 6.4 percent; the value of residential building approvalsdecreased by 7.9percent; and the value of non-residential building approvals decreased by 3.3 percent.[1]
- The trend estimate for total number of dwelling units approved in Queensland rose 3.4percent in April 2017 and has risen for four months. The trend estimate for the number of private sector houses fell two percent in April 2017 and has fallen for five months.[2]
- The Department of Employment’s Internet Vacancy Indexshowed thatvacancies for architectural, building and surveying technicianshas remained relatively stable over the last 12months to March 2017 after risingon average 15 per cent each year in 2014 and 2015.[3]
- Entry into this occupation has multiple pathways including Associate Degree, Diploma and Certificate courses of study.Employers in this year’s survey all required experience, and in some cases also specifiedAssociate Degree or Diploma qualifications.The ABS Census figures show that in May 2014 around 48 per cent of all architectural draftspersons in Queensland were qualified at the Certificate III or IV level.[4]This data suggests some employers will accept certificate qualifications when combined with relevant experience.
- Architectural draftspersons may also be licensed by the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.
- Information from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection shows that temporary skilled migration is a minimal source of supply to this occupation,with an average of seven class 457 visas granted per year over the previous four years for positions in Queensland.[5]
Labour Economics Office Queensland
Department of Employment
[1]ABS, 8731.0 Building Approvals, Australia, Table 32
[2]ibid
[3]Department of Employment
[4]ABS, Census of Population and Housing
[5]Department of Immigration and Border Protection