BuildSkills Australia’s Breakfast with BuildSkills series continued over the past week with well‑attended events in Sydney, Canberra and Darwin, adding new perspectives to the national discussion on workforce, training and skills development across the building and construction, property and water industries.
Following earlier sessions in Hobart, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, this week’s events again highlighted the value of bringing local stakeholders together to share insights grounded in real‑world experience.
In Sydney, attendees observed an engaging panel discussion featuring Erin Cini (Director Strategy and Partnerships, Water Services Association of Australia), Mark Hawkins (R/Chief Learning and Teaching Officer, TAFE NSW), and Adam Copp (Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure Australia). Panellists offered a range of observations on the workforce environment in New South Wales, reflecting on broad trends influencing labour demand at industry and sector levels, training delivery and organisational capability. The conversation further highlighted the importance of ongoing collaborative dialogue across all stakeholders, particularly in a state experiencing sustained activity across major programs of work.
The events continued in Canberra with an Industry Leaders Dialogue that brought together senior representatives including Gillian Geraghty (Director‑General and ACT Chief Engineer, Infrastructure Canberra), Peggy Cheong (Deputy Work Health and Safety Commissioner, WorkSafe ACT) and Dr Margot McNeill (Chief Executive Officer, Canberra Institute of Technology). Their discussion explored a variety of factors shaping the ACT’s operating context, including the nature of the project pipeline, the capabilities needed across the local workforce, and the broader conditions influencing training and development in the territory.
Today, the series reached Darwin, where BuildSkills Australia hosted the latest Breakfast with BuildSkills event as part of its national circuit. The Darwin panel featured Susan Bowden (Chief Executive, Department of Education and Training), Sallyann Innes (Chief Executive Officer, Master Builders NT) and Luis Espinoza (Regional Executive Director, Housing Industry Association). Their discussion provided Territory‑specific insights into the unique project environment, workforce needs and training landscape of the Northern Territory. Engagement at the event further reinforced the value of region‑specific dialogue, contributing to a deeper national understanding of the challenges and opportunities across Australia’s diverse labour markets.
Across all cities, attendees emphasised the value of open, constructive conversations. Each event has contributed to a growing body of jurisdiction‑specific insight that is helping BuildSkills Australia build a clearer understanding of the current workforce landscape and the issues that matter most to all industry stakeholders.
The Breakfast with BuildSkills series will conclude later this week with the final event in Brisbane, completing a full national circuit. The insights gathered through every breakfast will support BuildSkills Australia’s ongoing engagement with government and industry, and will help shape future work across workforce planning, industry intelligence and the vocational education and training system.
