Plumbing Connection Summer 2016

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6 PLUMBING CONNECTION SUMMER 2016
EDITORIAL
THE PROFESSION
OF CHOICE
W ho wants to be a plumber?
That’s the question we
asked ourselves one
afternoon, some months ago, over
a beer on a Friday afternoon. Seems
a strange topic to discuss at the
end of the week over a cold one, I
know; however, it certainly raised
some interesting facts and bore a
lot of hard truths that the plumbing
industry needs to address to ensure
the future remains a positive one.
The truth is, kids have so many
vocational options to choose from
these days. Just listen to any FM
station and be consumed by copious
amounts of ads looking for personal
trainers and massage therapists.
So how does an industry, as long
and proud as plumbing, not only
attract a stream of kids to the
industry, but ensure they have the
right kind of attitude too?
After much discussion and
research, there certainly isn’t just
one solution; however, we do believe
that we have gathered enough intel
to start some healthy industry
discussion and hope the wheels start
turning in a positive direction.
Universities recorded 569,064
commencements in 2014 – up from
509,766 in 2012 – the Australian
Bureau of Statistics finds. The
same period recorded just 192,000
apprenticeship and traineeship
commencements – down from
330,500 – National Centre for
Vocational Education Research
statistics show.
A recent report indicates that
the US is turning to Germany for
apprenticeship training given the
German model is currently attracting
roughly half of high school graduates
while two-thirds of high school
graduates in America opted for
four year degrees in 2015. Given so
many of our RTOs look to America to
emulate their educational models, this
fact alone should provide some food
for thought. Maybe Europe should be
used as the benchmark.
We surveyed a pool of year 10
students from a Melbourne school
to get an understanding of how they
perceive the plumbing industry,
whether they aspire to obtain a degree
or apprenticeship and who or what are
the major influences in their career
aspirations.
A few glaring observations to come
out of our research and interviews
suggest the industry needs to do
more work in educating students
about the myriad career options
plumbing can bring, it needs a likeable
spokesperson that the youth of today
can relate to and it needs to consider
various ways to market itself via
social media, YouTube and or smart
phone apps. At the end of the day,
plumbing is a proud industry, and for
good reason, so let’s make it a priority
rather than just another option.
Lastly, I’d like to wish you all the
best over the festive season. Get
some rest and rejuvenate for a
positive year in 2017. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this magazine
do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.
Although all materials are checked for accuracy, no
liability is assumed by the publisher for any losses
due to the use of material in this magazine. Copyright
2016 by Connection Magazines. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by
any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of
Connection Magazines.
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GENERAL MANAGER
Jeremy Sweet
EDITOR - BUILDING CONNECTION
Justin Felix
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Jacob Harris
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Jacob Harris, Joe Young
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