Skilled workers are important in any country to allow an economy to function well. Over the past few years there has been a worldwide shortage of skilled workers in various fields and governments have been implementing schemes to encourage people to train in the fields with these vacancies. Australia is one of the countries that is currently struggling to find enough skilled workers to fill all their vacancies. The biggest shortage that Australia is facing is a qualified plumber shortage, it’s a simple supply and demand issue but we’ve dug into why it is impacting Australia more than other countries.
What does a plumber do?
A plumber is qualified to deal with any problems that may occur with the complex water systems that are running through buildings, this includes the water systems that allow toilets to function properly, the systems that allow your shower to work and any issues that arise with things like your washing machine or dishwasher. Plumbers also have the option to gain an additional qualification so that they’re able to install and fix central heating too.
How do you become a plumber?
It is possible to become a plumber through a variety of different paths, the first and most common is by taking a college course. There is quite a bit of competition to gain a place on one of these courses and entry requirements are based on the grades you achieve at school. Another option is to complete an apprenticeship, this allows you to gain work experience, study and earn money all at the same time. As you’re paid for your work rather than just spending time in a class room, there is even more competition to get accepted than college. Finally, you can find an employer who is willing to hire and train you to help you qualify.
Why does Australia not have enough plumbers?
The major cities in Australia are Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. These cities are constantly under development and the more rural parts of Australia are under development to become more urban. Plumbers are vital to a city or regions development, the demand is so high for plumbing work, there isn’t enough people qualified to keep up with the work load. An issue that is making this worse for Australia is that a lot of their plumbers are reaching retirement age and there isn’t enough young people to take over their jobs leaving a huge gap. Luckily, if you need a plumber and you’re in one of the big cities there are large companies like the superior plumbing company in Perth, but if you’re in a more rural area you may struggle to find an available plumber.
Which areas will require plumbers the most?
Whilst Sydney has a huge number of plumbers already, they are expanding and developing more quickly than any other area, just recently they’ve built more hospitals, homes and university buildings. They plan to continue expanding which is going to require many more plumbers than are available. Other areas that are also struggling with hiring enough qualified plumbers include Port Adelaide, Stirling and the Sunshine Coast.
How can Australia get more qualified plumbers?
The best way for Australia to sort this issue is to expand plumbing courses at college so they can take on more students, which in turn will result in more people wanting to work in that industry. However, it will be several years until these students are qualified so they can also make it easier for plumbers from abroad to get a living and working visa.