Trades Vs Professional Jobs Vs Unskilled Jobs

Timistry

I have always found the comparison between the above jobs quite interesting here in WA.

The tradesmen have to go through an arduous internship on sub min wage but once qualified there are great opportunities and there seems to be plenty of work. I have read articles of some self employed sparkies earning $2-3K on a Saturday in Perth (Weekend West, about a year ago). Tradies on work sites are also backed by powerful unions.

As I have a degree so I am considered a "professional". I came here as a graduate and all things considered the wages for your average professional worker are not great compared to an unskilled worker in my field (waste industry) . I find it quite difficult to break into certain industries as some companies do not consider generic skillsets to be transferable. Mining and multinationals being the most notable.

There is a large proportion of unskilled workers (sorry im not trying to demean anyone) not earning much working in fast food outlets, supermarkets etc. but I know yard hands, warehouse workers, operators etc earning $80K a year. In my work (as part of a resources project in Perth) people who work nights or weekends are on that sort of money and bar a few tickets they have no professional qualifications. Meanwhile the supervisors on the same site are on $10K less. Whilst I understand the reasons behind this, its an interesting situation none the less. There is a similar situation on Barrow Island.

What do ye think?

aido79

Timistry wrote: »

I have always found the comparison between the above jobs quite interesting here in WA.

The tradesmen have to go through an arduous internship on sub min wage but once qualified there are great opportunities and there seems to be plenty of work. I have read articles of some self employed sparkies earning $2-3K on a Saturday in Perth (Weekend West, about a year ago). Tradies on work sites are also backed by powerful unions.

As I have a degree so I am considered a "professional". I came here as a graduate and all things considered the wages for your average professional worker are not great compared to an unskilled worker in my field (waste industry) . I find it quite difficult to break into certain industries as some companies do not consider generic skillsets to be transferable. Mining and multinationals being the most notable.

There is a large proportion of unskilled workers (sorry im not trying to demean anyone) not earning much working in fast food outlets, supermarkets etc. but I know yard hands, warehouse workers, operators etc earning $80K a year. In my work (as part of a resources project in Perth) people who work nights or weekends are on that sort of money and bar a few tickets they have no professional qualifications. Meanwhile the supervisors on the same site are on $10K less. Whilst I understand the reasons behind this, its an interesting situation none the less. There is a similar situation on Barrow Island.

What do ye think?

I agree in the sense that sometimes its not really fair that people without qualifications/experience can earn top dollar here. I know a guy who has just started a job in the mines without any qualifications. His dad knew a supervisor with the company and sorted him out with the job from Ireland. This guy is so hapless that he was there almost 3 weeks before he figured out the name of the minesite he was working on. He has never even so much as set foot on a construction site before.

pete4130

There is huge demand for tradesmen on big sites and in mining as well as unqualified workers with experience in manual work and if you have HGV, HR, MR licenses you are a more adaptable employee that can multi task on site.

People don't necessarily get paid for their skills in the mining sector. They get paid penalty rates and site uplifts/camp uplifts for being away from home and their families, friends for 3 to 4 weeks at a time, working 12 hours a day. If the companies didn't offer much better money then what would be the incentive to work away from home?

I have my degree and I'm not considered a professional. I am a professional with a degree in skills that are valuable to the mining sector so I'm able to work out here with that degree. I work along side unskilled guys getting the same money as me, some get more as they are leading hands, supervisors with years of experience at running ground crews. Thats the nature of the work.

Most people have generic skill sets and its the tickets, licenses and again experience that sets them above everybody else. Most tickets can be from $700 to several thousand $'s to attain too, so its a commitment to get these tickets.

Places like Barrow Island are unique in the sense you are very isolated, doing 4 weeks away so the money is the incentive for people to want to go there. If they were offering city rates they'd struggle to find anyone to go out there. You sacrifice a lot when you do FIFO work.

The important thing to remember with your degree is that when the boom slows down and things get tough you will probably find it easier to maintain your job or find new work on decent money with your degree compared to somebody without a 3rd level qualification.

catbear

WA is on the supply side of global trade and what the world pays for their dirt has floated all boats in that supply chain and the support services.

However while the supplier takes the price they don't make the price and currently commodities are dropping in price, Iron ore dropped below $100 on Friday and supply backup in Chinese ports suggest the price will drop further. Longer term it's harder to gauge price moves but one estimate has seven workers involved in commissioning a new mine for every one worker required at full operation. Once all these new operations are finished there will be a glut of trades people in WA and competition for less work should drive down wages.

At the moment it's an employees market but just like in Ireland the worm can turn. Unions don't set the price of what WA ships so at some stage lower commodities will hurt non-skilled wages whereas qualified wages shouldn't budge as easily as there is a global professional rate to compete against to retain qualified staff whereas unskilled labour has to accept lower wages.