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The Daily Dose #346 | Why Australia Is Losing Bricklayers And Why More Apprentices Won’t Fix It | Andy Shaw
The Good Builder Podcast · 24 сентября 2026 г. · 1 ч 31 мин
Australia needs more bricklayers. But according to Andy Shaw, simply putting more apprentices into the system won’t solve the problem. Andy is the founder of Brickies Network and has spent more than 35 years in construction. He started as an apprentice bricklayer, built and ran his own bricklaying business, worked on the builder side of the industry and has spent the past five years looking closely at how bricklaying businesses operate across Australia. In this episode of The Good Builder Podcast, Andy and Az go deep into a trade that operates very differently from most others in residential construction. They unpack why bricklayers are particularly exposed to construction cycles, how per-brick pricing can hide the true cost of doing a job, why apprentices are leaving, what happens when experienced bricklayers disappear from the industry, and how changing employment and compliance requirements are reshaping the economics of running a bricklaying business. Andy also explains why skilled migration alone isn't a simple solution, why protecting yourself from non-payment matters, and why he believes the industry may be trying to solve the bricklayer shortage from the wrong end. One of the biggest ideas from the conversation is simple: before Australia can successfully train the next generation of bricklayers, it needs sustainable businesses capable of employing, training and retaining them. This is a detailed conversation about bricklaying, but many of the issues Andy raises apply much more broadly across Australian residential construction. In this episode: • Why bricklaying businesses operate differently from other trades • The economics behind per-brick pricing • Why Andy believes the industry is particularly fragile • Where apprentices are being lost • The difference between being qualified and being genuinely job-ready • The impact of employment, superannuation and compliance costs • Why good bricklaying businesses need to understand their true costs • Skilled migration and the importance of trade competency • Protecting subcontractors from non-payment • Why experienced trade business owners matter to the industry's future • What builders can do to build stronger relationships with their trades • Why Andy believes the answer is a "win-win-win" between builders, trades and the wider industry Andy also discusses Brickies Network, its work supporting residential bricklayers and its focus on helping members build profitable, sustainable and compliant businesses. The Good Builder Podcast Real conversations about the issues affecting Australian residential builders, trades and the people shaping the future of the industry. Proudly supported by MyConstruct. Get your 30-day trail at myconstruct.com with CODE: GOODBUILDER #TheGoodBuilder #Bricklaying #Bricklayers #AustralianConstruction #ResidentialConstruction #HomeBuilders #ConstructionIndustry #Apprenticeships #Tradies #BuildingIndustry