The State of Western Australia is handing out cash as it tries to supplement its own shrinking construction workforce.

Tradespeople who apply to the Construction Visa Subsidy Programme will be able to claim up to £6,000 to help cover the costs of relocating down under.

Plumbers, electricians, glazers, tilers, plasterers, carpenters, joiners, painters and decorators and brickies are all eligible to apply!

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Small to medium sized construction firms are undecided about the impact that artificial intelligence will have on their business sector or on jobs.

According to a poll by Close Brothers Asset and Finance, 56% of respondents didn’t have a clear picture how AI will impact their firm.

However, 43% predicted that AI would lead to large scale job losses in their sector.

A similar of figures of small builders felt that AI wouldn’t significantly impact employment.

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And finally, homeowners are prioritising energy efficiency when they are looking at home improvements – that’s according to a consumer survey by Schneider Electric.

In the poll nearly 90% of respondents said making homes energy efficient was their top home improvement action.

Other energy efficiency measures also featured highly, including energy security and comfort.

Unsurprisingly, the recent high energy costs had promoted a surge in “energy saving behaviour” in households.

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