"I think that the shortage is far more complicated than just blaming changes to TAFE. When we were in school in the 1970’s at least 60% of students left in Year 10. Only the brightest went onto the HSC and then university. The ones that left went to TAFE. The boys did a trade, the girls did the secretarial course.All kids now stay on to Year 12. Many of them enroll in university courses which cause significant debt and no real pathway to decent jobs. The kids today are not that interested in trades. They can’t put their phones down. Not keen on working in the heat and cringe at the idea of having to fix someone’s septic system. Toss in the low wages and they really isn’t much interest from the young ones.In this area most of the courses fell over because of lack of students enrolling.If you think there is a crisis now it will get worse as a huge cohort of very experienced tradesmen are set to retire in the next 5 years."
Cowcockie, you have nailed it, so the question now is how can it be corrected. Pinthoo said this in his post, Post #: 73195895 "geesus wept???????????? really? ---------- how bloody long did it take to wake up to this?honest to god - this situation was crystal foreseeable years ago - half a decade to a decade at leastand a 'solution' - modular????????really - a new idea for Oz?????? grrrrrrh. There have been modular in factory builders building things in Oz for yearsOver seas- in many places. why why why why why does it take a bloody crisis - which one could see coming - to get Aussie government AND industry off it's arse?this stuff was and is so so so obvious. And I wouldn't stuff about depending on this 'build it in Oz' bullshit -yep - fine, begin doing that - but, in the meantime - bring modulars in from China, in the 10's of thousands -------put Aussie standards on them - DON'T take the cheap crap - and buy in bulk. Set up the Aussie manufacturing as well - but, don't wait for that - all Oz does is wait - wait and wait for it's next crisis if we can throw a trillion down the drain for a few useless subs - we can throw a trillion at some modular houses -------it's not that hard a concept ---------------- HOUSE the populationwithout housing people, feeding people, keeping them healthy and educating them - a country is going nowhereno nation was ever built with cut cut cut, low debt, low tax and no investmentnever has been, never can be, never will be.
So could the answer be, factories knocking out modular homes with semi skilled labor, and those who want elaborate housing, really have to pay top dollar so that apprentices can be enticed into the industry.
