A severe skills shortage is tipped to increase the price of the Federal Government's $14.7 billion classroom stimulus program by up to 15 per cent in South Australia.

Construction companies have begun scouring interstate and overseas for tradespeople as the state gears up for a massive building and construction boom.

The industry expects the shortage will force up prices for the third stage of the Building the Education Revolution when combined with the state's 1500 projects covering social housing, transport infrastructure, super schools, hospitals, defence and mining.

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