Employment ‘crisis’

Mechanic wanted ad fails to get job seekers

AN INNISFAIL scrap metal recycler may be forced to create an expletive-laden viral video after weeks of failed attempts to find staff during an employment crisis.

New Life Metal Recycling managing director Jack Thompson has been advertising for a mechanic for the past three weeks with no luck.

He has had three responses in total – all from unqualified backpackers – and thinks he may have to follow the lead set by Normanton’s Top Service Station when it released a cussheavy viral video on social media to find staff.

“I’m half thinking I’ll have to do it, but my secretary doesn’t want to get in front of the camera,” he said.

Mr Thompson said the job would be perfect for qualified petrolheads who were not too fussed on dealing with pesky customers – and it came with one big perk.

“I’d be happy to pay the highest in town to get someone to work for me, but no one’s interested,” he said.

“It’s good money and the main thing we want a qualified mechanic for is to dismantle cars.

“There’s some work servicing our own gear, but you mostly don’t even have to think. You can just pull things apart all day, you don’t have to deal with customers, and you can get all the free parts you want.”

Mr Thompson is not alone in his struggle to find workers.

Plummeting numbers of apprentices and trainees across Australia have led to a skills shortage, down in Queensland from 88,560 in 2013 to 59,447 last year.

There has also been criticism of the level of education now provided by TAFE, with Federal Government data showing about 60 per cent of qualified automotive graduates were not hired due to poor skills.

Still, Mr Thompson is flatout even getting a CV sent in.

“Another mate who runs a mechanic up here can’t get anyone, and he started looking about the same time as me,” he said.

“And a bloke in Mareeba was offering to pay a sandblaster $45 an hour with no qualifications, but he couldn’t get anyone.

“I’ve just recently found a junior labourer who we’re giving a go, but that took me four months to find.

“I rang the employment mob and they said they still don’t have anyone.”

Mr Thompson suspected people were exploiting the JobSeeker program and preferred to stay home for free money over getting a job.

“I’ll pay you good money to go hard and pull things apart all day,” he said.

“If I was a mechanic, I reckon that would be a cruise.”

Prospective candidates can call Mr Thompson on 0414 587 919 to put their name forward.