Trading a Trade for a Career

Work commitments prevented any posts for the last week or so. Disappointing really, because there's a lot happening that's worth commenting on.

John Howard's exhortation for country's youth to leave school in year ten to do an apprenticeship certainly raised a few grunts at the sty. He's got to be joking! Been there and done that.

Well, I did go through to year 12, but the rest is history. Having a technical bent and not enough marks or inclination to go to university, I took a mechanical apprenticeship at a large government run organisation. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

I was one of over 100 apprentices taken on that year. It was at the height of the Whitlam government, and the facility had 3000 employees and a dedicated apprentice school. (30 years later, the place is now in private hands, employs 300 workers, a handful of apprentices, and outsources labour when needed.)

Working conditions were uncomfortable to say the least. Workshops were in large open buildings with no climate control. You broiled in summer and froze in winter. The work was dirty and dangerous. There were several horrific injures and one death during my time. Contact with asbestos was common.

The social disparity between trades and white collar workers was obvious. Trade employees in this particular government industry had an inferior award compared with other public servants. They had a longer working week, 40 hours compared to 36.75 flexible working hours for the office workers.

I completed my trade but left soon after to travel overseas. Apart from a short stint in London, I never returned to it. The writing was on the wall for manufacturing. Service industries were on the rise. Electronics and computers were the way to go.

I'd like to think the shortage of trades people will see trades' wages and social standing increase. In reality, the government's tightening of industrial law is designed to keep the lid on pay and conditions. (Unless you're an executive, of course.)

When the current economic boom ends, as it must eventually, trades people will be the first to lose their jobs.

I certainly won't be encouraging my kids to take on a trade.