Change​ ​needed​ ​in​ ​the​ ​value​ ​of​ ​tradies

As​ ​industry​ ​searches​ ​for​ ​a​ ​solution​ ​to​ ​the​ ​current​ ​shortage​ ​of​ ​tradies,​ ​New​ ​Zealand’s​ ​largest​ ​network of​ ​plumbers​ ​and​ ​electricians​ ​has​ ​called​ ​for​ ​a​ ​change​ ​in​ ​perception​ ​of​ ​trades​ ​as​ ​a​ ​career​ ​choice​ ​and greater​ ​support​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Government​ ​for​ ​the​ ​employers. 

Laser​ ​Plumbing​ ​&​ ​Electrical​ ​General​ ​Manager,​ ​Scott​ ​Carr​ ​believes​ ​that​ ​the​ ​practice​ ​of​ ​promoting University​ ​Education​ ​as​ ​being​ ​more​ ​valuable​ ​than​ ​an​ ​apprenticeship​ ​has​ ​to​ ​be​ ​addressed​ ​and​ ​the Government​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​part​ ​of​ ​changing​ ​the​ ​current​ ​mindset. 

“There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​growing​ ​number​ ​of​ ​young​ ​people​ ​leaving​ ​University​ ​with​ ​a​ ​significant​ ​student​ ​loan​ ​and​ ​no job,​ ​yet,​ ​the​ ​school​ ​system​ ​continues​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​tertiary​ ​education​ ​as​ ​the​ ​primary​ ​option​ ​for​ ​our youth,”​ ​said​ ​Scott. 

“At​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time,​ ​those​ ​bucking​ ​the​ ​trend​ ​and​ ​taking​ ​on​ ​an​ ​apprenticeship​ ​are​ ​being​ ​paid​ ​to​ ​learn on​ ​the​ ​job,​ ​and​ ​after​ ​3​ ​to​ ​4​ ​years,​ ​have​ ​a​ ​qualification​ ​in​ ​a​ ​buoyant​ ​market.

“The​ ​current​ ​skills​ ​shortage​ ​is​ ​seeing​ ​pressure​ ​placed​ ​on​ ​training​ ​organisations​ ​to​ ​increase​ ​the numbers​ ​of​ ​apprentices​ ​in​ ​the​ ​system​ ​but,​ ​support​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Government​ ​to​ ​promote​ ​the​ ​trades​ ​as​ ​a worthwhile​ ​option​ ​is​ ​lacking​ ​as​ ​is​ ​the​ ​Government​ ​support​ ​for​ ​the​ ​small​ ​businesses​ ​hiring apprentices.  

“Government​ ​also​ ​needs​ ​to​ ​identify​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​support​ ​the​ ​many​ ​small​ ​businesses​ ​that​ ​hire​ ​the apprentices​ ​and​ ​teach​ ​them​ ​the​ ​trades,​ ​ensuring​ ​the​ ​industry​ ​continues​ ​to​ ​grow​ ​into​ ​the​ ​future.”

Laser​ ​Electrical​ ​Auckland​ ​Central’s​ ​Terry​ ​Bluck​ ​agrees.​ ​​ 
​“Training​ ​institutes​ ​collect​ ​the​ ​students​ ​fees and​ ​gain​ ​funding​ ​and​ ​subsidies​ ​from​ ​the​ ​Government,​ ​yet​ ​it​ ​is​ ​the​ ​employer​ ​who​ ​wears​ ​the​ ​brunt​ ​of the​ ​cost​ ​in​ ​managing​ ​and​ ​training​ ​an​ ​apprentice.”  

For​ ​many​ ​businesses,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​not​ ​until​ ​the​ ​third​ ​or​ ​fourth​ ​year​ ​of​ ​the​ ​apprenticeship​ ​that​ ​the​ ​employee starts​ ​to​ ​cover​ ​their​ ​costs​ ​and​ ​offer​ ​a​ ​return​ ​on​ ​the​ ​investment. Having​ ​trained​ ​in​ ​excess​ ​of​ ​25​ ​apprentices​ ​through​ ​his​ ​business,​ ​Terry​ ​also​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​see​ ​a​ ​change​ ​in the​ ​attitudes​ ​towards​ ​tradies.  

“We​ ​need​ ​a​ ​society​ ​where​ ​tradesmen​ ​are​ ​appreciated​ ​and​ ​valued​ ​rather​ ​than​ ​being​ ​set​ ​up​ ​in​ ​TV programmes​ ​like​ ​‘Target’.​ ​​ ​​ ​
Like​ ​any​ ​industry,​ ​you​ ​may​ ​find​ ​a​ ​bad​ ​egg,​ ​but,​ ​where​ ​are​ ​all​ ​the​ ​good stories?​ ​​ ​Media​ ​also​ ​plays​ ​a​ ​role​ ​in​ ​changing​ ​societal​ ​perceptions.​ ​​ ​These​ ​stories​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​kids​ ​being steered​ ​away​ ​from​ ​a​ ​trade​ ​as​ ​a​ ​career​ ​choice,​ ​not​ ​considering​ ​that,​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​becoming​ ​a​ ​qualified plumber​ ​or​ ​electrician,​ ​the​ ​apprentice​ ​could​ ​ultimately​ ​end​ ​up​ ​owning​ ​their​ ​own​ ​business​ ​and​ ​being​ ​a leader​ ​in​ ​their​ ​industry”​ ​argued​ ​Terry.  

While​ ​New​ ​Zealand​ ​has​ ​seen​ ​an​ ​increase​ ​in​ ​apprenticeship​ ​numbers​ ​to​ ​42,000,​ ​​ ​there​ ​is​ ​still​ ​a significant​ ​shortage​ ​with​ ​a​ ​recent​ ​article​ ​estimating​ ​an​ ​additional​ ​2000​ ​plumbers​ ​alone​ ​were​ ​required to​ ​keep​ ​up​ ​with​ ​the​ ​current​ ​construction​ ​boom. 

Owner​ ​of​ ​Laser​ ​Plumbing​ ​Grey​ ​Lynn,​ ​Sarah​ ​Bowie​ ​is​ ​focussed​ ​on​ ​creating​ ​her​ ​own​ ​solutions​ ​to​ ​the employment​ ​shortage,​ ​ensuring​ ​her​ ​customers​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​receive​ ​the​ ​high​ ​level​ ​of​ ​service​ ​they​ ​are used​ ​to.

“Our​ ​focus​ ​around​ ​recruitment​ ​as​ ​changed​ ​and​ ​now​ ​we​ ​look​ ​for​ ​the​ ​right​ ​attitude.​ ​​ ​We​ ​know​ ​plumbing is​ ​not​ ​a​ ​sexy​ ​industry​ ​but​ ​it​ ​is​ ​an​ ​important​ ​one​ ​that​ ​is​ ​undervalued.​ ​​ 
​”Recent​ ​experience​ ​is​ ​showing​ ​us that​ ​adult​ ​apprentices​ ​are​ ​more​ ​diligent​ ​on​ ​the​ ​job​ ​and​ ​motivated​ ​to​ ​learn.​ ​​ ​They​ ​have​ ​generally​ ​taken a​ ​pay​ ​cut​ ​to​ ​take​ ​on​ ​the​ ​apprenticeship​ ​and​ ​so​ ​want​ ​their​ ​investment​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​off.​ ​​ ​They​ ​see​ ​it​ ​as​ ​a career,​ ​not​ ​just​ ​a​ ​job.” 

Like​ ​Scott​ ​and​ ​Terry,​ ​Sarah​ ​would​ ​like​ ​to​ ​see​ ​the​ ​perceptions​ ​of​ ​trades​ ​as​ ​a​ ​career​ ​change​ ​but,​ ​also acknowledges​ ​the​ ​bottleneck​ ​which​ ​is​ ​the​ ​cost. 

“As​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the​ ​costs​ ​associated​ ​with​ ​the​ ​training,​ ​there​ ​are​ ​the​ ​additional​ ​costs​ ​including​ ​of​ ​having the​ ​apprentice​ ​fully​ ​supervised​ ​for​ ​the​ ​first​ ​year.​ ​​​The​ ​risk​ ​of​ ​another​ ​business​ ​poaching​ ​your apprentice​ ​also​ ​increases​ ​by​ ​the​ ​time​ ​they​ ​reach​ ​their​ ​third​ ​or​ ​fourth​ ​year​ ​with​ ​many​ ​companies​ ​not willing​ ​to​ ​take​ ​on​ ​the​ ​cost​ ​of​ ​training​ ​someone​ ​from​ ​scratch.​ ​​ ​For​ ​many​ ​small​ ​businesses,​ ​the overheads​ ​and​ ​risk​ ​​ ​add​ ​up​ ​and​ ​prove​ ​too​ ​costly.”  

Scott​ ​added,​ ​“now,​ ​more​ ​than​ ​ever,​ ​it’s​ ​time​ ​for​ ​our​ ​Government​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​with​ ​trades​ ​businesses and​ ​work​ ​with​ ​them​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​that​ ​the​ ​shortage​ ​does​ ​not​ ​grow.​ ​​ ​These​ ​businesses​ ​are​ ​training​ ​our tradies​ ​of​ ​tomorrow​ ​and​ ​should​ ​be​ ​supported.”