Australia's construction industry employs nearly 600,000 workers, over 7% of total national employment. The industry is heavily dominated by males (nearly 88%) and full-time workers (86%). Much of the work in this industry involves subcontracting and is cyclical. Construction employers provided much less structured training than the average employer, spending only about $100 per employee. Nearly 50% of the work force has a skilled vocational qualification, associate's degree, or higher degree. The industry received one of the highest ratings for employer satisfaction with vocational education and training (VET). Construction courses were rated as highly relevant by 68.9% of VET graduates, by far the highest rating. However, graduates working in construction rated the provision of information on careers and jobs as particularly low. Of the graduates who took their course in order to get a job, 78% said they had fully achieved their aim. (An appendix contains four tables of statistics: national shifts in employment in various industries in Australia; numbers of persons employed in various occupations in the construction industry from 1987-1996; and educational attainment of persons in occupations within the industry.) (KC)