Page 26 - Climate Control News Magazine June 2022

NextGen 2022
From oily compressors to software
FOR HVAC TECHNICIANS today it’s no long- er about dirty spanners and oily compressors, most tradies today rely on laptops and software apps to get the job done.
This is particularly true for chiller technicians working in the central plant world.
“It’s a different world today, it is a highly tech- nical job,” according to Airvision director, Adam Raas. “It’s all about data and analytics.”
As Perth’s largest chiller, data and central
plant solutions provider, Airvision has a team of 15 staff including seven technicians and two ap- prentice technicians.
While not on the tools today, Raas is passion- ate about chillers. His enthusiasm makes Airvi- sion a great place for technicians that love what they do.
“There is a massive skills shortage out there and retaining staff isn’t easy,” he said.
“But it isn’t just about money it’s about doing
interesting work and being challenged by what you do.
“We don’t reinvent the wheel here but the work we do is varied and staff are always learning. That is why they stay.
“Once you are in the central plant world you don’t want to go into rooftops.”
“THERE IS A MASSIVE SKILLS SHORTAGE AND RETAINING STAFF ISN’T EASY.”
Raas is aware of supervisors that have been forced to return to the tools due to the skills shortage.
“For technicians it is great to be surrounded by skilled tradies and to be constantly chal- lenged,” he said.
Confident he has an outstanding team of tech- nicians, Raas nominated five staff for NextGen.
“I’ve had apprentices in their first year going out to mines and big breweries.These guys are miles ahead,” he said.
Three nominees from Airvision made the NextGen top 20.
ABOVE LEFT: There were plenty of chiller technicians in this year’s NextGen top 20.
ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar.
our current migration program to increase the cap for skilled migration to 200,000 for the next two years at least.”
Earlier this year the ACCI released a paper en- titled Overcoming Australia’s Labour & Skills Shortages through Skills Development, Work- force Participation and Migration.
The paper calls for action in all three areas in- cluding skills, participation and migration.
“We need action in all three areas to make Australia the best place in the world to do busi- ness so that Australians have the jobs, opportu- nities and living standards to which they aspire,” McKellar said. ✺
Labour shortage will get worse
AUSTRALIA’S TIGHT LABOUR market is likely to worsen as the economy strengthens following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has warned.
Australia’s unemployment rate is at its lowest levels since the 1970s and the Reserve Bank of Australia has warned in its May statement on monetary policy that it could drop to 3.5 per cent by next year.
ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar said Australia is struggling with a severe skills and la- bour crisis.
“While we have had skills and labour shortag- es during previous economic cycles, never have they been as acute, necessitating a range of solu- tions to respond to this crisis,” McKellar said.
“With the equal lowest unemployment in dec- ades, the highest job vacancy rate since 2008 and the slowest population growth in over a century, the labour constraints faced by businesses will only worsen as the economy strengthens follow- ing the COVID-19 pandemic.
“As the recovery continues, we have a once in a generation opportunity to introduce landmark pol- icy reform to help businesses access the skills and labour they need to power the economy forward.”
McKellar said apprentices and trainees are a key part of plugging the skills gap.
“AUSTRALIA HAS THE HIGHEST JOB VACANCY RATE SINCE 2008.”
“We need to bring into the workforce as many as possible of the 580,000 unemployed and al- most one million underemployed,” he said.
“There has never been a better time to tap into this pool of talent including the long-term unem- ployed, mature aged workers, youth, women and parents, and people with disability.
“In addition, we need to change the settings of
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