‘Hard’: Grim future for Aussie tradies

An entire industry is facing a mass shortage and one industry insider said it is going to be a “tough” road ahead.

The entire tradie industry is about to suffer because Gen Zers aren’t finishing their apprenticeships.

Training organisation Apprenticeships Are Us LTD has reported an alarming 60 per cent of automotive apprentices are abandoning their apprenticeships.

That alarming dropout rate comes from the National Centre for Vocational Education Research, which found that individual completion rates for apprentices and trainees had decreased to 54.8 per cent in 2023.

Builder Samuel Sarkis, 28, fears that in a couple of years, it is going to become difficult to find tradies when you need something done.

“It is going to be hard to find skilled tradies for what you’re after. I think the future of construction is going to be tough in about five or 10 years and there’s no new qualified builders,” he told news.com.au.

Builder Samuel Sarkis explained that it is hard to find keen apprentices. Picture: Supplied

Mr Sarkis said that Gen Zers just don’t seem that interested in becoming tradies anymore. “I think they think there are easier ways to make money,” he said.

“The people that work for me are finding it so hard to find apprentices that want to get up in the morning and go to work and become a tradie.”

The 29-year-old, who runs his own business, said that if you want to work in construction, you need to be “thick-skinned” and he doesn’t think that appeals to Gen Zers.

“There’s easier ways to make money. You can make money from your laptop or from an office rather than being out in the sun all day digging holes,” he said.

The rigorous nature of learning a trade is off-putting for some Gen Zers, and Mr Sarkis said that apprenticeship attrition is “insane”.

He said you need to be “thick skinned” to thrive in the tradie industry. Picture: Supplied

He said the way he was treated when he started out wasn’t ideal. Picture: Supplied

To a certain extent, Mr Sarkis understands why young people are put off. Tradie culture tends to be fast and loose as opposed to cordial and polite, and when you start out, it can be a shock.

“You’re 18 and working around 30 and 35 year-olds and it is extremely hard. You just have to be thick-skinned, and it makes you a stronger person both mentally and physically,” he explained.

Mr Sarkis said his experience when he started out was okay. It wasn’t the worst, but on reflection, it certainly could have been better.

“I’m pretty easy to get along with but they are tough. They’ll call you dumb, tell you to piss off and they are grown men that aren’t afraid to tell you how they feel,” he explained.

“The way I was treated wasn’t ideal. I really try to be the type of builder people want to work for.”

The 28-year-old has been in the industry for 10 years now, and even though it is a tough industry, he reckons it can still be worth the hard work.

“I think being a business owner is worth as a tradie. It is worth it when you’re a business owner, but as a worker, it is tough,” he said.

He said now he is a business owner it has been worth it. Picture: Supplied

Phil Cooksey, general manager of Apprenticeships Are Us Ltd, said that low starting salaries are putting off young people.

“The current cost of living pressure, especially in the Sydney area, is probably the biggest culprit for people quitting their apprenticeships. The Government has been offering incentives to help ease the cost of living pressure, but even still, apprentices are finding themselves faced with difficult decisions,” he said.

“It’s unfortunate because completing an apprenticeship offers long-term benefits, including valuable qualifications, real-world experience, and highly competitive pay.”

Mr Cooksey said the best advice he could offer any young person studying a trade is to stick with it because it’ll eventually pay off.

“A qualified car mechanic can earn around $75,000 per annum, while those specialising in heavy vehicles, like trucks and buses, could see salaries reaching $100,000. With the strong demand for automotive skills, apprentices who complete their training are likely to find job opportunities in their preferred locations,” he advised.

Originally published as ‘Hard’: Grim future for Aussie tradies