The plumbing industry is facing massive shortages across the country, but it is being felt most severely in Auckland (file photo).

Auckland is facing a severe plumbing shortage if there isn't a greater push to get apprentices into the industry, industry body Master Plumbers says.

According to a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE) report, the plumbing workforce needed to grow by 32 per cent in Auckland over the next three years to keep up with current demand.

Master Plumbers chief executive Greg Wallace said that meant signing up more apprentices, particularly in the northern regions.

"The issue is that demand has increased with the construction sector but apprentice numbers are just not keeping up," Wallace said.

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According to Wallace, part of the challenge was that the trades were competing against a pervasive belief that all New Zealand students should flow from high school into tertiary study, rather than a trade.

SUPPLIED Greg Wallace, chief executive of Master Plumbers, says Auckland is heading for a massive shortage of plumbers.

"One example of this attitude is the recent Victoria University open day. All secondary schools in the city closed so students could go wonder around. Where was the trade option?" Wallace said.

The average age of plumbing apprentices was 23 years old, meaning the industry was missing out on students coming straight out of high school, he said.

"Thirty per cent of our apprentices have done other tertiary education.

"That's a lot of cost and study they have done before coming into the industry. We need to work out how to get that younger age group interested in the industry."

Martin Sawyers, chief executive of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, said one of the biggest issues was that not enough businesses were taking on the apprentices that were available.

"Only 30 per cent of the industry take on apprentices and that is one of the key blockages," he said.

DAVID ALEXANDER/STUFF Martin Sawyers, chief executive of the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, says the industry has to diversify to meet demand.

"But the solution to the current shortage of plumbers is multifaceted."

That included encouraging school leavers to enter the profession as well as recruiting internationally, Sawyers said.

The organisation was also investigating ways to increase the numbers of apprentices, including encouraging diversity applicants.

"One of the solutions is diversification. The industry is pretty male and Pākehā," Sawyers said.

However, some plumbing businesses said the real issue in the industry was finding people with qualifications and experience.

Paul Potatau, operations manager for Watertight Plumbing, said the company generally had enough apprentice applications.

"Over the last four to five years there has been an increase of people moving into the trades, there's been a big push for that," he said.

"What we struggle to find is actual qualified plumbers. We have done a lot of promotions and offers to the market to try and recruit a qualified plumber – to the point that we have offered close to [a] $3000 finder's fee. We will pay someone if they refer a plumber to us."