Melbourne: Where Have All the Good Trades Gone?

Where have all of the good trades gone?  With a booming building industry in Melbourne it’s really hard to find trades to attend to anything but basic maintenance.

The Herald Sun published the following article in April resulting in heated comments on solving the above problem.  Do we make it easier for immigrants to enter the country or do we allocate resources toward educating and encouraging today's youth to learn a trade?

Article: 

UPDATE 10.45am: THE building industry needs more workers, and strict English tests for migrant workers may not be the best answer, an employment group claims. 

 

Victorian Employer's Chamber of Commerce and Industry policy manager Andrew Rimington said in the past there had been cases of companies taking advantage of overseas workers.

"In the period leading up to the GFC, there were instances of companies taking financial advantage of workers from overseas, we’re totally opposed to that," he said.

"While the solution appears to be a blanket one, we are also concerned about safety and protection of both overseas workers and Australian workers."

Mr Rimington said the strict measures might be too harsh for the building and construction industry, where labour is needed.

"There is growing evidence that the building industry is starting to build up, while the building industry is a bit flat, there is indications there will be an expansion in the building sector," he said.

"More workers will be needed when that happens."

Strict English tests will make it almost impossible for migrant tradesmen to enter the country, according to employers.

And they say we need more foreign tradies because young Aussies "don't want to get their hands dirty".

Master Builders Australia wants the Federal Government to reconsider tough changes to English testing amid a shortage of workers in the construction and mining industries.

In a submission to a federal inquiry into sustainable population, the MBA expressed concern about the Government's move to introduce a higher English test for prospective skilled migrants from July 1.

"It will make it virtually impossible for most tradespeople to pass the new points test," said the submission to the Department of Sustainability and Environment inquiry.

MBA executive director William Harnisch said yesterday the Government should have a more balanced approach.

"The level of English competency should really be commensurate with the requirements of the trade or the skill level and shouldn't necessarily just be university-focused," he said.

But Monash University migration expert Dr Bob Birrell said allowing low-skilled workers with poor English into the country was unnecessary.

"The immigration program is supposed to be about skilled workers and we've got lots of potential people in Australia who are not gainfully employed who could be doing semi-skilled work," he said.

Dr Birrell said there was no need to dilute English standards because many tradespeople could still pass on their work experience and demand for their skills.

Mr Harnisch said many young people were choosing more "attractive" careers.

"Some don't want to start at 5 or 6 o'clock in the morning, some don't want to get their hands dirty," he said.

"That's a disappointment because the building industry remains a very rewarding and profitable career for young people."

A spokesman for Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said an independent review had found that English skills were critical to ensuring foreign workers were less vulnerable to exploitation.

"Australia is and will continue to be an attractive destination for skilled migrants, putting us in the enviable position of being able to select the best and brightest from that pool," he said.

masanauskasj@heraldsun.com.au