Top trades where Aussies can get a job ahead of WorldSkills 2022

These are the Australians who are taking their tradie skills to the international stage — and where they can get work right now.

Melanie BurgessSMARTdaily associate editor

@melanieburgess

3 min read

December 16, 2021 - 2:00PM

News Corp Australia Network

Uptake of trade apprenticeships hits all-time high

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A career in trades is proving a smart choice for Australians, with job ads soaring and apprenticeship opportunities bouncing back after the pandemic.

Exclusive research from employment marketplace SEEK reveals a 66 per cent increase in trades and services job listings when comparing the past three months to the same period in 2019.

The growth is led by the automotive trades, followed by labourers and electricians.

And it does not seem to be a short-term spike.

SEEK employment analyst Leigh Broderick says pandemic recovery is driving a high demand for workers in some sectors, but it is not necessarily the only factor driving a need for tradies.

“Having a qualification in a trade is always going to stand you in good stead,” he says.

SCROLL DOWN FOR LIST OF TRADES WITH BIGGEST JOB AD GROWTH

There is also good news for school leavers and career changers hoping to get a start in the trade sector, as more employers are taking on apprentices and trainees.

There were almost 187,000 apprenticeship and traineeship commencements in the 12 months to March, according to the latest figures from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research – more than the same period in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

This number included almost 69,000 women – up 16 per cent on 2017 figures.

SEEK’s Leigh Broderick says it’s always useful to have a trade qualification. Picture: Supplied

THE TRADIE OLYMPICS

To help highlight the career opportunities available through vocational education, Australia is preparing to send its best young apprentices and trainees to Shanghai for the “tradie Olympics” in October 2022 – subject to border restrictions.

Like the sporting Olympics, the WorldSkills Competition starts with an opening ceremony, ends with a closing ceremony, and features podiums, medals and national anthems.

But instead of swimming, gymnastics and athletic events, there are 63 competition categories testing skills from carpentry to hairdressing.

At WorldSkills Kazan 2019, in Russia, Team Australia brought home a silver medal in industrial mechanics millwright, and three bronze medals - in car painting, plumbing and heating, and refrigeration and airconditioning.

Our 2022 Skills Squad, from which Team Australia will be chosen, was announced this week.

The members were selected after competing in regional and national WorldSkills competitions, and final “skill offs” will be run for some categories to determine the international team.

Apprentice spray painter Isabella Turrise at work at Kingswood Smash Repairs. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Skills Squad member Isabella Turrise hopes to compete in car painting and is preparing for an intense period of training, on top of working and completing her Certificate III in Automotive Refinishing.

“The fact that I would be representing Australia would be pretty cool,” she says.

“I never thought I would be someone to represent a country.

“Mostly, I really want to just open up the minds of young women who think they would be all right or who want to have a go because we are so good at this trade it’s ridiculous, but so many people don’t give it a try.”

Turrise says there are lots of opportunities for tradespeople at the moment.

“It’s a good time to do a trade, now more than ever – especially spray painters,” she says.

“We so-so need spray painters … we need anyone who is keen.”