Page 4 - Australasian Paint & Panel July-August 2019

Editorial
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PAINT&PANEL
JULY / AUGUST 2019
WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
EDITOR
Sam Street (02) 9213 8334 samstreet@yaffa.com.au
BODY REPAIR
NATIONAL SALES MANAGER
Max Yaffa (02) 9213 8246 0412 103 800 maxyaffa@yaffa.com.au
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APOCALYPSE?
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Bree Edgar
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Member Circulations Audit Board
during our awards judging I think it's time to get the 'end of the world is nigh' sandwich board on, such is the shortage of automotive body repair technicians (ABRTs). Every business had more work than they could handle. One shop owner said: “I prac- tically rub their feet for them. We have bar- becues, I shout them turns on the racetrack, I pay well, and still they leave if there's more money on offer.”Some argue that it's the industry's own fault for not bothering to find and take on apprentices, others prefer to blame the insurers for paying so little. There's also the time it will take for the public perception to move from the grub- by environments of the past to the high tech, professional businesses of today. Plus yes, everyone wants their kids to go to university, the kids aren't interested in
trades, etc, etc.
We have talked about all the reasons
endlessly and yet here we are in what is probably only the early stages of a severe ABRT drought. We appear to to be reach- ing the bottom of the curve where de- mand for repairs has outstripped supply which I hear means that insurers are be- ginning to pay more in some states –
that's great, but it won't magically create more ABRTs.
There are plenty of initiatives to encour- age apprenticeship take up, the MTAs, amongst others, work tirelessly but surely what we need is a national body whose sole focus is to promote the industry to schools, drive apprenticeships and look at new ways of attracting fresh talent. What about a university degree in association with TAFE which also teaches aspects of business management? Incremental quali- fications so that apprentices can earn more on their journey but take the proper time to become fully qualified?
Meanwhile the government's $525m 'Delivering Skills for Today and Tomor- row' package offers employers and ap- prentices some money. If you don't have an ABRT apprentice, then get one. If they're no good, get another one. With no apprentice ABRT on your staff you cannot complain about the shortage, be- cause you are contributing to it.
Sam Street – Editor
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LKING TO MANY SHOP OWNERS
WHAT’S COMING UP IN 2019
EVENTS
• 10 August Capricorn Collision Repair Conference, Melbourne • 11 October Paint & Panel L!VE Conference, Melbourne
• 11 October bodyshop Awards Night of Nights, Melbourn
• 5-8 November SEMA Show, Las Vegas
• 15 November Women in Collision seminar and awards, QLD
If your company has any exciting new products or is involved in any innovative projects, contact Australasian Paint & Panel editor Sam Street on samstreet@yaffa.com.au.