Where do all the unskilled workers go........?

Gobes32 · 07-07-2011, 09:54 AM

Just having a thought process lately. With all our manufacturing going offshore lately and much more of it to happen in the future, I was left wondering, where will all the unskilled workers go?

Where I work, in the 60's, 70's and 80's it was well known that if you could not get a job anywhere else in Geelong, it did not matter, they would still hire you. But nowadays, there are no jobs like this anymore.

So it got me thinking, are there any people on here that didn't pass Form 3/4 or what ever it used to be called that ended up scoring a decent paying unskilled job? And what would you do if that job left the country? It would be interesting to hear your replies.........

MexicanBatman · 07-07-2011, 09:58 AM

Prison

mr smith · 07-07-2011, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gobes32

Just having a thought process lately. With all our manufacturing going offshore lately and much more of it to happen in the future, I was left wondering, where will all the unskilled workers go?

Where I work, in the 60's, 70's and 80's it was well known that if you could not get a job anywhere else in Geelong, it did not matter, they would still hire you. But nowadays, there are no jobs like this anymore.

So it got me thinking, are there any people on here that didn't pass Form 3/4 or what ever it used to be called that ended up scoring a decent paying unskilled job? And what would you do if that job left the country? It would be interesting to hear your replies.........

This is a great question. I know many unskilled workers who were layed off over the last few years who are really struggling. A lot are not working or doing low hours. A problem is if your married and your wife is working (I think earning over $35K) you will not be entitled to any benifits and will NOT be counted as unemployed. The same if you recieve a payout and cannot find a new job, you will not have any assistance and again not be counted as unemployed. Current unemployment figures are so inacurate they are a joke.

FTE72 · 07-07-2011, 10:40 AM

They just had new inductees into the Senate.....seems pretty unskilled there these days.

Gobes32 · 07-07-2011, 11:22 AM

My partner is in recruitment and she see's this first hand everyday. 48 year olds who were leading hands and cannot get a job at their local Bunnings etc. I am sort of fortunate that even though I may be made redundant in 4 years, I will only be 31 and will receive a redundancy payout that could potentially halve my mortgage. But it also scares me. I passed my VCE with flying colors, I have obtained tickets within my current employment. But once I leave the safety net of my current job, what is out there? And please don't mention mining jobs because anyone that actually works in mining will tell you there is a glut of workers at the moment and more people are being laid off than put on. It would appear that even the miners become unconfident in an unstable government.........

SB076 · 07-07-2011, 11:53 AM

I dont think many people realise how many jobs are directly involved in manufacturing (approx. 1 million jobs) Now take out those indirectly involved (accountants, IT support, cafe's, legal services etc) Its not a good thing that manufacturing is going offshore.
I was talking to a friend awhile ago, they advertised two vacancies and had 600 applicants - thats not healthy.

Mining jobs are not particularly safe either, I wonder how safe coal miners feel about their job security right now?

maty · 07-07-2011, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SB076

I dont think many people realise how many jobs are directly involved in manufacturing (approx. 1 million jobs) Now take out those indirectly involved (accountants, IT support, cafe's, legal services etc) Its not a good thing that manufacturing is going offshore.
I was talking to a friend awhile ago, they advertised two vacancies and had 600 applicants - thats not healthy.

Mining jobs are not particularly safe either, I wonder how safe coal miners feel about their job security right now?

Its not only manufacturing, working in transport(overnight express) we now get alot of customers that have there boxes labeled in china.We get the containers unload them then deliver, no need for a warehouse, all they will have soon is just a office in australia.Will it reduce the price of the product on the shelf i guess not.

mik · 07-07-2011, 01:04 PM

good thread Gobes32, it is a bit of a worry, the thing is the whole work environment has changed over the years, a lot of jobs that could be done by less educated , or under achievers are gone, these days unless you have a skill or can multi task many of the old employment possibilities are just not there, i have a mate in the local council, he has many tickets he has needed to get to keep his job, truck driver , fork lift driver, traffic control, first aid, heavy machinery ticket,and more, while its difficult for an unskilled older person, i`d say it may be more difficult with the lack of choices for a youngster these days, to me from my perspective i can only see it getting harder, especially with current economic outlook RE: the C.T.

Gobes32 · 07-07-2011, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SB076

I was talking to a friend awhile ago, they advertised two vacancies and had 600 applicants - thats not healthy.

Ford had 5000 applicants for 15 apprenticeships. And the worst part is that Ford only put apprentices on after strike action was taken by Ford maintenance, and Ford was made to put apprentices on as part of the EBA. Makes me worried for all these kids graduating from John Howards Technical Colleges, the idea was great, but now there are no apprenticeships for them.........

As for IT, my partner on average, scores 2-3 IT Uni grads a week who end up working in a totally irrelevant field to what they studied.

burnz · 07-07-2011, 02:35 PM

well i think the opposite, i'm a ticketed tradie doing labouring unskilled work for more money.

rocketscientist · 07-07-2011, 03:27 PM

The service industry.

Geez Louise · 07-07-2011, 03:28 PM

Seeing as how I am having so many dramas with St George bank....I think they go and work there!

TheInterceptor · 07-07-2011, 03:50 PM

Politics.

On a serious note, this country is headed down a bad road....when there are no jobs, how do we make money to afford anything? Hell even govco seem to be goin bust, i hear they are now taxing rainwater in SA..

Time to buy a farm and become self sustainable.

Pis-ton broke · 07-07-2011, 04:00 PM

I don,t know where they go, but they could go to Tafe and learn a skill.

Pis-ton broke · 07-07-2011, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

Politics.

i hear they are now taxing rainwater in SA..

.

I hear your own dam should have a metre on it, and you are to be charged for the water used out of it (NSW), Is this right??

XR6_661 · 07-07-2011, 04:24 PM

I think a lot of skilled workers are finding it hard too...

I'm a civil designer....am I doing that, nope? I'm working for a major shed company offering engineering support to our outlets.

Pis-ton broke · 07-07-2011, 04:31 PM

hope things work out for you.

I,m a boilermaker welder and for the last 4 weeks i was flat out working 12 hours(could of done more if i wanted) a day seven days a week, that job is done now. i,m back on 38 hour week, good one, intil i get hungery again.

gtfpv · 07-07-2011, 04:33 PM

i believe most office work is unskilled , sorry guys . but this is where we are heading . most bureaucratic work is made up self sustaining crap .

jcxr · 07-07-2011, 04:34 PM

Local government and teachers..........

Spudz27 · 07-07-2011, 04:39 PM

I am worried about my job security atm. Not in the immediate future, but I can tell that my boss has had enough and is looking for a new path and they are starting a web store, so I think that in 2yrs if the web store is going great, when the lease is up my boss will sell up and move onto what he is currently wanting to do. I have plenty of skills as far as using myob, management, stock ordering, quotes, dealing with clients needs, problem solving, then there is my ambulance training I have etc etc, but I have sweet FA on paper to say I am qualified in any skill, except my ambo stuff, but even then to become a fulltime paramedic I have to give up work and study 1yr unpaid at uni.

Pis-ton broke · 07-07-2011, 04:57 PM

there are jobs for welders, we had got in contract welders at our place in western sydney, they were all korean and none of them could speak a word of english. And they weren,t very good welders either. one young welder turned up without his welding helmet, fcuken hopeless

gtfpv · 07-07-2011, 05:00 PM

on a serious note . essential services will always be there , and may be the only safe job security . communications, police, ambos, hospitals, food , power , transport, corrective services , imports, exports , travel , realestate , hairstyle, veterinary, dental.

mr smith · 07-07-2011, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtfpv

on a serious note . essential services will always be there , and may be the only safe job security . communications, police, ambos, hospitals, food , power , transport, corrective services , imports, exports , travel , realestate , hairstyle, veterinary, dental.

The first few yes, highlighted ones no way. Things are not going to get tough, they are tough for a lot of people now and they will cut back on all these.

Pis-ton broke · 07-07-2011, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gtfpv

on a serious note . essential services will always be there , .

don,t forget most trades and farming too.

gtfpv · 07-07-2011, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

don,t forget most trades and farming too.

these can be overtaken by semi skilled migrants , who work casual , with no conditions or safety requirements unfortunately . australia have tough safety laws and levels , but they dont want us to work to that standard , when they can get self employed undercutters for 1/3 of the costs , it's called competition , and our country writes the rules and then contracts them out .putting it's own people at the bottom of the sheet heap.

mytgxl · 07-07-2011, 05:28 PM

Just wait till this carbon tax hits!

Minning & manufacturing jobs are going to suffer the most,the place that I work at already said if it comes in that they will close!

lets see how I get a job with everyone else out of work to & at 45yrs old! Things look bad.

Zero_PSI · 07-07-2011, 05:29 PM

I'm technically unskilled even though I have a HR and a Forklift licence. And I have to say, there's becoming less and less jobs for somebody like me.

There's still plenty of work out there. And it's not too hard to get a few tickets under your belt.

SB076 · 07-07-2011, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

don,t forget most trades and farming too.

Farms are similiar to manufacturing, they are stuggling to compete with overseas imports.

I tend to agree with welders at the moment though, however I was contacted recently by a couple of welders (experienced with mig and tig and they were struggling to find a job - but this is in Victoria)

Pis-ton broke · 07-07-2011, 05:33 PM

yes thats a sad fact, but some of the imigatants aren,t that
good trades people from what i see. the government
says theres a skills shortage and says, no worries ,
we will get in imigrants. But the government doesn,t
know that they are a bit dodgy . a bit like the foringe
doctors in Australian hospitals, not very
good. I think it will balcance out.

Gobes32 · 07-07-2011, 06:22 PM

My brother in law is a boilermaker and he want's to get out of the trade. His thoughts are that immigrants are driving down pay and conditions. People in the trade would know what NWNR on the back of a hard hat means.........