There are fears cuts to TAFE courses in a NSW regional town are placing increasing pressure on an already overwhelmed construction sector and "killing" some trades.
TAFE NSW slashed its bricklaying course in Coffs Harbour on the state's Mid North Coast last year, which left aspiring brickie apprentices in the region in a difficult position.
There is no other public bricklaying course available in the 679 kilometres between Newcastle and the Queensland border.
Coffs Coast local Lachlan Tenace, 18, said the "shocker" of his chosen course closing locally did not stop him from pursuing the trade.
Mr Tenace said he had travelled almost 400 kilometres to Newcastle about 11 times this year to access face-to-face learning.
"I've just finished my first year and so far, it has actually been really good," he said.
"It's definitely something you'd want to have inspiration to do."
Lachlan's father Mick Tenace said he worried about his son undertaking long commutes back and forth and explored all other avenues, including travelling interstate.
"My wife and I seriously considered trying to get him relocated to the Queensland TAFE, three hours away on the Gold Coast," he said.
"I looked into it [but it] was a little bit complicated."
'We can't keep up with the work'
Lachlan's employer Tony Crockett, a partner in T & H Crockett Bricklaying Coffs Harbour, has been in the trade for about 50 years and followed in his father's footsteps.
He said a recent restructure to TAFE NSW was hindering the already overwhelmed construction sector on the Mid North Coast.
“It’s killing the trade. We just can’t find apprentices or workers,” Mr Crockett said.
"We can't keep up with the work, we are knocking work back all the time."
He said it was tricky to source apprentices and consequently loyal long-term employees the past few years.
"We are searching everywhere for somebody," he said.
"Normally I'd pick up apprentices from TAFE, whereas now I can't do that."
Mr Crockett said he was worried there would be no locally based qualified bricklayers left in the region in a "few more years".
“A lot of the bricklayers in town are over 60 years old, so when they stop there will be no crews, no bricklayers, nobody to teach young people,” he said.
"It'll be too late."
It is a concern shared by the NSW Teachers Federation, which said the slashing of bricklaying, as well as floor and wall-tiling courses in Coffs Harbour, was a blow to the region.
"It discourages students from wanting to take up those professions," deputy secretary post schools Phillip Chadwick said.
"On top of doing the work they need to do as part of an apprenticeship on very low wages, they're now also finding themselves being forced to travel very long distances, across flood-impacted and weather-impacted roads.
"And then [often] live away from home to attend training rather than doing it in their local community."
'A premium trade'
Meanwhile, the Housing Industry Association said bricklaying was likely to become a less affordable option.
“Without any new bricklayers or apprentices coming through the ranks, it's going to make bricklaying a premium trade," Coffs Harbour branch manager Daniel Pleaner said.
Despite industry demand, he said the poor uptake of bricklaying and other “physically demanding” trades alike, had exasperated the construction industry’s dire skills shortage.
“The demand for the trade has dropped in popularity compared to other high-tech industries or less physically arduous sectors,” he said.
“[If] there's no tradies to lay those bricks, it will become a major problem later down the track.”
'Very low' course uptake
In a statement, a TAFE NSW spokesperson said TAFE had experienced "very low demand" for bricklaying over the past few years.
"TAFE NSW regularly reviews what courses are required to meet current and future demand," the statement said.
"In consultation with industry, TAFE NSW is delivering bricklaying in a block release mode at Newcastle.
"This arrangement allows students to complete their training over sequential days … this approach also means TAFE NSW can viably deliver training where there may not be enough local demand to run a class."
