Apprenticeships need to be seen as desirable career choices in SA | Jodie Van Deventer

SA faces a skills crisis yet despite apprenticeships being available in hundreds of well-paid and in-demand occupations, trades are still viewed as inferior to a uni degree, writes Jodie Van Deventer.

There’s a brilliant ad in New Zealand where a young man hesitantly tells his parents he wants to be a tradie as they, in shock, ask themselves where they “went wrong”.

“It’s just a phase,” the mother consoles herself while the father implores his son to be “more like Sarah” – his 31-year-old daughter with a degree but still living at home.

Tongue in cheek, sure, but this ad shows how many parents still consider apprenticeships, or “the A-word”, to be a dirty word. In Australia, trades are often viewed as inferior to a university education.

In reality, apprenticeships and traineeships are available in more than 500 occupations, providing mostly well-paid, challenging and exciting careers where massive skills shortages exist. South Australia’s areas of strength – industries such as renewables, defence, space, advanced technologies, manufacturing and mining – are crying out for them.

Australian Industry Group recently surveyed its members across the country and found 69 per cent of businesses said their skills needs had increased in relation to technicians and trade workers, while 71 per cent were having problems finding staff. This shows a deep and entrenched shortage of these workers.

There is a woefully low level of females choosing trades and technical careers. Picture: iStock

Work-based training should be an easy decision, yet too many young people still don’t understand the advantages of apprenticeships and traineeships. Those they turn to for advice, parents and teachers, sometimes use outdated knowledge to deter kids from this path.

Unlike university, work-based training gives people highly valued, practical, on-the-job skills. It provides a chance to earn and learn rather than be saddled by debt.

And tradies and trainees are in demand with the National Centre for Vocational Education Research finding 92 per cent of apprentices and trainees are then employed.

SA is facing a critical skills shortage and if we want our state to succeed, we need to ensure alignment between young people and the local jobs in demand both now and in the future. The state government’s five new technical colleges will help shine a much-needed spotlight on apprenticeships and traineeships as a desirable career choice and these are welcome. But, as a community, more needs to be done, including lifting the woefully low level of females choosing trades and technical careers.

And most importantly our attitudes need to change. So, when a young person announces they want to be a tradie, friends, family and educators proudly celebrate this decision. Not asking where they went wrong, but congratulating themselves on a job well done.

Jodie van Deventer is the South Australian Head of Australian Industry Group.