Master Builders Northern Territory (MBNT) has raised serious concerns following confirmation that Certificate III in Carpentry training delivered through Charles Darwin University (CDU) has failed to meet national competency standards, impacting Territory apprentices and construction businesses.
“For industry, CDU’s primary role is clear: delivering nationally compliant, job-ready training that meets the real needs of Territory employers and apprentices. When that core function falters, the consequences are felt immediately across worksites, businesses and the wider economy.” said MBNT CEO Sallyann Innes.
“This situation reinforces the need for CDU to remain firmly focused on its core business in the Northern Territory,”
MBNT confirmed that approximately 40 apprentices have been affected to date, spanning multiple Master Builders members across Darwin and Alice Springs, and said work is ongoing to confirm the full impact.
“We are continuing to work with Master Builders members to confirm the final number of affected businesses who rely heavily on timely apprentice completions to plan workforce capacity. It is also important to understand how far back this issue goes,” Ms Innes said.
While CDU has committed to covering all remediation costs, MBNT stressed that financial responsibility alone does not resolve the broader impact on employers.
“It is right that CDU should pay all associated costs, but it does not remove the disruption to businesses,” Ms Innes said.“Construction businesses plan months, sometimes years, ahead around workforce availability. A delay like this has real commercial consequences, regardless of who pays for remediation.”
MBNT said the situation has had a tangible effect on industry confidence, particularly at a time when the Territory construction sector is already under pressure from workforce shortages.
“It has a significant impact on the confidence we place in CDU, particularly in a market already under pressure from workforce shortages,” Ms Innes said.
“As one of the largest training recipients of taxpayer-funded User Choice funding, CDU has a heightened responsibility to deliver training outcomes that meet national standards and industry expectations.”
“When public funding is being invested at this scale to support apprentices and employers, the outcomes must be reliable, compliant and fit for purpose. Industry expects – and the Territory deserves – better.”
MBNT said it expects CDU to take clear, practical steps to restore confidence.
“MBNT expects CDU to prioritise its foundational training responsibilities and work closely with us and the Northern Territory construction industry to ensure confidence is restored,” Ms Innes said.
“Our focus is on protecting apprentices, supporting employers and ensuring the Territory’s training system delivers the outcomes industry and taxpayers rightly expect.”
