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HRG78
22-11-2010, 01:44 PM
There has been some talk about skill shortages throughout Australia mainly to mention trades specifically diesel mechanics - I work for a transport company where managers come to me with their recruitment needs for their division of the business. I'm having all sorts of difficulties in recruiting for diesel mechanic especially when we cannot hire applicants on visas they must be permanent residents. The government keep saying they are improving effects for overseas applicants to work only in states that have shortage of specific skills. Any further suggestions?

Heavy Chevy
19-01-2011, 03:03 AM
Good`Ay to you Megansant,
I understand your difficulities trying to find tradesman. Your post attracted me.
The reality is they are scarce and will remain so unless Government policy changes.
You have to go back some years to the Whitlam era where the Labour party believed that private enterprise was exploiting individuals. I was trained at Chrysler Australia and recieved an experience that not many if any could have recieved the training I had as a fitter and turner initially, with toolmaking and heavy machining experience at the end of a 5 years. Later years with government policy with the fringe benefit tax with cars, business lunches etc etc had a negative effect. If you have a business, and you want to be successfull then you have to put in the hours. The play and business time was taken away as a tax rourt. So.............what did we do. We diddnt buy new vehicles, we cut back. We diddnt buy cars.........we bought utes.
We didnt go out to lunches to conduct business...........the resturant bussiness suffered.
Somewhere along the line later they, as in govt could foresee a problem. I think it was more noteicable regarding doctors as a higher exposure of a real impending problem.
Back in Howard days?. Doctors wanted more money and capped litigation because the risk of financial ruin was greater than the rewards practising as a doctor. This was rejected and many resigned and Australia lost a lot of highly skilled expertise that could not only perform but also train.
The govt has from time to time offered incentives to train. Yer..........any incentive offered they add it to your income. I know of a plumber who who worked for me as a contractor and couldnt release apprentices and almost went broke trying due to work related incidents and falling business. Why would you need to employ when the risk is higher from inside your business than with normal fluctuations of bussiness activity.?

The reality is that if you employ anyone that person can take you to the cleaners with the current laws in place. Check them out and see how hard it is to get rid of someone who dosent or will not perform adequetly in your business. It can cost a lot of money.

My view.........I can fire a machine gun (if I had one) in my factory and not hit one employee. I dont have substandard components and ruined material, I dont have to watch a person getting caught up in a machine, I dont have to pay someone for 10 weeks of a year not being there, I dont have to pay govt requirements of insurance (which isnt insurance) its insurance you have to pay so that they can sue your arse if you are found to be at fault.
They call it "work place Health and safety" The fines are not cheap if you stuff up.
Regardless of the fact whether you did or you didnt the litigation costs would break you anyway.
Meganant,..........I guess you are getting the picture. The fact is that you employ someone to make your business more efficient and more profitable.
The fact is that there is a growing number now not willing to take those risks and prefer to work alone because in reality my view is that it has become not profitable employing personel due to the financial litigation risks involved.
Do you know that some nurse agencies who contract out to hospitals cannot supply mid-wives because they cannot afford the insurance?. Well it is real.
Because the govt realised that privat enterprise was not traing aprentices they decided they could do it better with TAFE. Maybe they should employ one who is trained put him or her behind a lathe and see if he come machine something. At their expence.

Meganant, I guess I am really not much help to you but maybe you have a better understanding of why you cant find tradesman.
IF the govt allowed a business person to make staff decissions of who they can employ and replace if necessary, insurance as in health and safety directed to those that are hurt in business ( and could be underwritten) ,instead of fining the business or company for what they see as neglegence, financial help with employed training without adding to the tax structure of the employer or company, and an independant view on all matters regarding basic fringes of safety relating to injury.

Certainly.........you could change things. You could find mechanics that are skilled and pay them more than what they are being paid right now..............to train new mechanics.
Check out what you need to financially cover on the hidden charges to do that as well as the hourly rate and worshop hire, etc etc to do that..

I thought about that teaching someone to work a lathe. I couldnt afford the insurance and the person couldnt afford to train if everything was in place.

63 tradesman ...............and not one aprentice I have trained.............sad state of affairs.

By for Now.

Heavy Chevy