What is ConstrucTrend 2025?
ConstrucTrend 2025 is a nationwide workforce research project examining current skills, future training needs and emerging technology adoption across New Zealand's carpentry, electrical, plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying industries. The research provides evidence to help employers, industry associations, training providers and government make better workforce development decisions.
Overview
ConstrucTrend 2025 was commissioned by ConCOVE Tūhura to better understand the skills, capabilities and future workforce needs of New Zealand's construction trades.
The research combines feedback from both tradespeople and employers across the carpentry, electrical, plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying sectors to identify where skills are strong, where capability gaps exist, and which emerging technologies are expected to have the greatest impact over the next five years.
The findings provide an evidence base for workforce planning, training investment and industry policy, helping ensure New Zealand's construction workforce remains productive, adaptable and future-ready.
Key findings from ConstrucTrend 2025
Technical trade skills remain strong across the construction workforce, but employers consistently identified broader business and leadership capabilities as needing further development.
Employers want greater investment in management, costing, planning and business capability alongside technical training.
Emerging technologies including Artificial Intelligence, smart building systems and digital tools are becoming increasingly important across the trades.
Most workers currently develop these new skills through workplace experience, self-directed learning and continuing professional development rather than formal training.
Employers expect technology-related upskilling to become increasingly important over the next five years.
Key Statistics
ConstrucTrend 2025 identified several important workforce trends across New Zealand's plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying sector.
| Finding | Result |
|---|---|
| Employers wanting staff to upskill in at least one emerging technology over the next five years | 87% |
| Workers who had already upskilled in one or more emerging technology areas during the previous year | 68% |
| Respondents who started their own business within five years of completing their apprenticeship | 51% |
| Employers rating trade-specific technical skills as sufficiently developed | 86% |
| Employers rating business marketing capability as sufficiently developed | 37% |
| Employers rating accounts and budgeting capability as sufficiently developed | 52% |
| Employers rating costing and quoting capability as sufficiently developed | 59% |
| Employers rating organising and planning capability as sufficiently developed | 73% |
Why ConstrucTrend matters
The construction industry is evolving rapidly through changes in technology, regulation and workforce demographics. ConstrucTrend provides reliable evidence about where training investment will have the greatest impact.
Rather than relying on assumptions, industry leaders, education providers and policymakers can use this research to identify current capability gaps, prioritise future investment and support a more productive construction workforce.
Who should read ConstrucTrend 2025?
This report is designed for:
Construction employers
Industry associations
Training providers
Workforce development organisations
Government agencies
Apprenticeship providers
Researchers
Policy advisors
Tradespeople planning future career development
What this means for industry
ConstrucTrend 2025 provides valuable insight into how New Zealand's construction workforce is evolving. While employers continue to report strong trade-specific technical capability, the research highlights increasing demand for broader business, leadership and digital skills that support long-term business success.
The findings also show that emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, smart building systems and sustainable technologies, are becoming part of everyday construction practice. Employers are looking beyond technical competence and placing greater emphasis on communication, planning, financial management and the ability to adapt to new ways of working.
For employers, the report helps identify where future investment in training is likely to deliver the greatest return. For industry associations, education providers and policymakers, it provides an evidence-based foundation for developing programmes that respond to real workforce needs rather than assumptions.
As New Zealand's construction sector continues to face skills shortages, changing technology and increasing productivity expectations, research such as ConstrucTrend helps ensure workforce development decisions are informed by reliable industry data.
Building technical capability remains essential, but developing business capability, leadership skills and digital confidence will be equally important in preparing the industry's future workforce.
At a Glance
Technical trade skills remain a strength across the sector.
Business capability is the largest opportunity for workforce development.
Employers are prioritising investment in emerging technologies and digital skills.
Artificial Intelligence, smart systems and sustainable technologies will shape future training needs.
Evidence-based workforce planning helps industry, educators and government invest where it matters most.
Download the ConstrucTrend 2025 reports
Access the full research report, detailed methodology, trade-specific findings and supporting data.
Frequently Asked Questions
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ConstrucTrend is nationwide workforce research that measures current skills, future training needs and technology adoption across New Zealand's construction trades.
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ConstrucTrend 2025 was commissioned by ConCOVE Tūhura to better understand workforce capability across the construction sector.
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The research includes responses from both tradespeople and employers across the carpentry, electrical, plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying sectors, providing perspectives from both employees and those who hire them.
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The findings help industry, educators and government identify priority skills, future training requirements and emerging technologies that will shape New Zealand's construction workforce.
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Yes. ConstrucTrend 2025 is available as a free downloadable resource.
Publication date: February 2025
Last updated: July 2026 (update this whenever the page changes)
Publisher: Construction Growth Foundation (CGF)
Commissioned by: ConCOVE Tūhura
Resource type: Workforce research report
Region: New Zealand