Saddlery sows hope in ‘lost art’
Sewing is just one of the specialist skills fallen off jobseekers’ radars, write Kelley Tantau and Amy Ridout.
A career in sewing has become such an anachronism that a New Zealand saddlery is offering to train successful candidates in the ‘‘lost art’’.
Debra and Peter Gates have owned Matamata Saddlery for three years – including a manufacturing division which produces horse covers – but have struggled to find staff to help the business expand.
And they’re not alone. BusinessNZ said that although there were shortages across a range of industries, it was more noticeable in areas where specialty skills, such as sewing, were required.
The Gates, who already employ five staff, said they’d gone looking for more staff to help grow the business but found the majority of the applicants didn’t know how to sew.
‘‘Around here, there used to be sewing factories, but they have gone because there’s not the capacity to manufacture economically,’’ Peter said.
‘‘So much machining work has gone offshore, but we want to be able to manufacture here, so
we can create a high quality product we can control.’’
Debra said saddleries were closing down instead of being taken over by a new generation.
‘‘It’s very hard to find people who are skilled sewers, and so we’ve actually got to the point where we’ve realised there’s an opportunity for people to gain skills,’’ she said.
‘‘So we’re looking for someone who is teachable and adaptable and has initiative.’’
BusinessNZ manager education and skills Rachel Simpson
said it was tough finding someone for a job that required specific skills.
‘‘There are a few reasons for this.
‘‘Factors such as record low unemployment, net migration declining and a preference by young people for university study rather than vocational training or apprenticeships are all making it difficult for businesses to find the skills and talents they need.’’
Simpson said more work was needed to link education and employment opportunities.
‘‘A lot of young people struggle to transition successfully into a job or further education, and we have a mismatch between the skill areas that the tertiary sector is producing and where the demand in the labour market is.’’
Massey University distinguished professor Paul Spoonley said the saddlery’s conundrum was indicative of a wider change in Kiwi society.
‘‘The saddlery is a microcosm of a very significant shift in the labour market: where people are employed and in what people are employed.’’
One reason was that students were unaware these types of jobs existed.
‘‘I doubt that saddlery jobs have been thought of by a careers adviser for 50 years,’’ Spoonley said.
But the main reason was the dramatic change seen in the past 50 years: most manufacturing was now sent offshore, or was automated, Spoonley said.
‘‘Four out of five of us in New Zealand work in the service sector: health, tourism, education, hospitality. These jobs have replaced manufacturing.’’
And there’s more change in store, he said. ‘‘Forty per cent of today’s jobs will no longer exist in 10 years’ time. It’s as big a shift as the Industrial Revolution.’’
‘‘Around here, there used to be sewing factories, but they have gone.’’
Peter Gates