Every now and again you hear something that surprises you, but also just makes sense.
So when I learned last week that researchers are now tracking the availability of tradespeople as an indicator of community wellbeing, it was one of those moments. A surprise that makes sense — trades now sit alongside GPs, health services, transport and education industries in this regard.
The University of Canberra has been conducting its Regional Wellbeing survey for a decade on behalf of the Gardiner Foundation. Each year they have surveyed nearly 12,000 Australians including nearly 3500 Victorians, and importantly, a minimum sample of 100 in each of the local government area groupings (for example Moira Shire and Greater Shepparton are combined).
Across the decade some very interesting indicators have emerged — and access to trades is one.
Unfortunately, the results for Greater Shepparton/Moira were not great — of the 25 LGA combinations we came in sixth lowest with only 28.1 per cent of survey respondents reporting good access to tradespeople in our local area.
It makes sense that having access to trades impacts on our wellbeing.
Building and looking after your home, keeping your car and our public transport on the roads and rails, your house or office warm in winter and cool in summer, your taps running, and your toilet flushing are all trade skills — even your phone and digital devices rely on trades.
These are examples of where trades directly interact with residents in a community. We know the world of trades is much bigger and these descriptions probably undersell the role and sophistication of today’s trades, but they also underscore the fundamental importance of trades to preventing more severe health and wellbeing issues.
If improving access to trades is important to our wellbeing, what are we doing about it?
The answers, as always, trigger more questions. What’s limiting the supply and capacity of existing tradies? A common response is the ever-growing regulatory demands and the impact of major public and private sector projects such as crossing removals and mining projects that are drawing talent from our region.
Then we ask, what’s limiting training providers and business in providing trade training and apprenticeships? Based on the discussions we have had with industry and our trade training providers we need to rethink aspects of the local training pathways.
With workforce shortages, our training providers tell us the talent that might have been available to train apprentices is staying in or returning to industry.
Our industry members are keen to see apprenticeships broken into modules, delivered more efficiently with less down-time, and more efficient ways to release skilled professionals into secondary and post-secondary classrooms as resident experts, rather than qualified trainers.
As one member put it, a 12-month training course for framers and one for fixers would see us well ahead and would provide a great opportunity for more diverse talent, notably females, to move quickly into paid employment — and expand their skills over time.
And just to note, fixers are not the nefarious types we see in the movies delivering brown paper bags full of cash — or worse! The fixers, among other things, hang doors, fit locks, door handles, and architraves — and contribute to the tense TV drama on The Block and Dream Home.
Our members have also discussed work readiness and the important role of parents, schools and even team sports and activities in creating coach-able, and hence trainable, talent.
Over the longer term the answer is to encourage more people of all ages, genders and backgrounds to understand the breadth of trade opportunities and to pursue one they like. And that’s where our local trades, schools and parents all have a role to play.
The conversation is no longer whether a trade is a good option for a school-leaver or a career changer. The conversation is about us and the quality of life and wellbeing we want to enjoy living and working in our region.