Moving To W.a

[260tech]

It has nothing to do with Asian workers taking Aussie jobs mate. There is a massive skills shortage in Western Australia. I work in the mining game myself and you just can't find people.

Sadly true.

The really big issue is that there is a nationwide skills shortage. No doubt about it. The reason for this (imhpo, p=personal, o=observation) was that somewhere in the federal system the priority for building for the future in the home grown skilled labour department was downgraded. Fiscal support at a State & federal level slowly eroded/reduced? (Dunno)

What I do know is that I have watched this situation evolve (with increasing impotence) over the last 20 years.

It started with a reduction in the number of trades apprenticeships on offer within the industry I was working in nationally back in 1990 give or take a year or so.

At about the same time or within a couple of years, the education system stream-lined it's portfolio to reduce the number of failures on the student rolls in high schools.

The trades councils, possibly as a result of lower education leaving standards (complaints from those employers still trying to find potential apprentices using the old standards) decided that it was not necessary to have A or B in the three R's nor do 4, 5 ~ 6 year apprenticeship to become a journeyman (electrician & motor winder, Fitter & turner/machinist, plumber & drain-layer, blacksmith/boilermaker, coded welder), the trades were dumbed down, split up, short coursed to the point that you have what you have today. A serious shortage of in-depth skilled Australian labour,

It even became OK for the average bloke to change a plug on a kettle cord. Not that I'm saying it should be done by a tradesman, I use it as an example of a much deeper malaise insofar as the emphasis on trade related skills & possession/attainment of same is concerned.

So, if major hi-tech projects require people who have attained their "O" levels (are well grounded in a basic education) & have gone on to trade school & really got down to the nitty gritty of what the chosen trade is about because they want too or cannot afford Uni., then they are currently not produced here in Aussie (there are many exceptions that are no doubt fuming reading this, my apologies) as a general rule of thumb nor will they be until employers take on the responsibility & start some serious federal agitation for change of direction in the education system, instead of accepting what is on offer or importing/short-cutting for expedience.

In the meantime the answer is to import the necessary skills required & let someone else do the hard yards, cop the expense of solid education & skills training.

My 2c (end rant).

Cheers, GW

[RBMunkie]

Doesn't help of course that we are a country of 22 million people on land that rivals North America (which has 300 million +) - admittedly we are a lot drier in the center than the USA.. but still.

We have ridiculous costs of living, and we have to pay taxes and land costs that aren't reasonable even for a 100 million populous.
I mean seriously $2 for a 2.0 litre bottle of milk?
In the U.S.A it's like $1.25, and their farmers don't lose any money by going so low because they have such massive mechanised farms, here in Australia we undercut the producer then over price the product.

I have noticed in this Country that everything is focused - you can't have one guy that has three attained major skills under 25.
In the USA Mechanics are capable of learning body, paint and electrical all at the same time - here we take 4 years for each (Which is a joke, even the Teachers say that if it was all Practical work it could be done in under 2 years - but unfortunately a lot of people learn by reading not prac, and the same way opposite. We cater for both.)

Australia's skill shortage is it's own damn fault.
Now they are seeking Mechanical apprenticeships who have passed their ATAR.
Since when did theory become the backbone of a hands-on industry?

I can't get an apprenticeship around here because all the Audi, Mazda, Toyota, etc all want people who have their ATAR - who if you stuck a mechanical book under their nose, sure they'd understand it - but in hands on knowledge and practical application I would be light-years ahead thanks to common sense and a knack for mechanics.

It's all a joke.
The bar is too high for a country that is too low.
We need more industry, less bureaucratic BS.

Yes higher standards of education are good.
But I am not gonna pay 600 bux rent a week to live in the city (In a F***ING FLAT 1 bed, 1 bath, 0 garage) to have a job that only pays 900 a week.
It's ridiculous.


This country needs to wake up to itself, "Stable population" what a joke. If anything, bring more workers in, bring back the massive smelting facilities, the refineries, etc - Trillions could be raked in, and instead of relying on other countries for trade for basic mineral we could actually lead the export industry and do bugger all importing.
I have no problem with outsourcing workers.

I just hate it when I see a guy get a job instead of me who I KNOW is being paid less than me, and has the same experience.
If he was getting paid the same I wouldn't mind.
All I see there is the corporation cutting costs for greedy purposes.


Most of the people I work with aren't Aussies. LOL.
So I hope no one here has come to the opinion that I hate migrants, I don't - I just hate that companies can pay them less and go "Oh yeah, same qualifications - but sorry, he's cheaper to hire and we can just cart him home if we don't want him anymore."
I know thanks to fair work rights etc, that they get paid equally now, so that's no big deal.
I'd just like companies to hire people from here who have a proven track record without needing a contract.


You can put anyone on contract easily, but hiring someone and training them costs - I get that, and a lot of teens here in Aus think they should get everything for free and not have to work, but unfortunately the world has to spin, so we gotta work. And too many teams jump into jobs they don't want, receive half the training and the costs thrown at them - then leave because they see money NOW, not in the long run.

Impatience is strong in the youth of today.
I am impatient.
But at least I can hold onto a job if it is worth it in the long run - which is why I am looking to do my major Trade as a mechanic while being a tyre fitter, so I can still earn enough money to save up and get by on.
'Cause seriously.
$381 a week first year. That's $200 for rent and bills a week, then fuel costs or train costs to get to work. Then food. 100 bux does me one week of food. Ouch. Nothing saved, and still working 35+ hours a week.
That's why most kids leave and get a long term job and get minor skills with high pay.
Which is also why the wage is so low - because the money you spend on them only just rivals the costs of materials they chew through with mistakes, etc per week.
And if they nick off you are left with a hole full of cost and wasted time.



So yeah, I see all the points I guess.
^None of that probably made much sense - but it's not my fault, taking enough drugs here to keep an elephant down thanks to all these tests and scans.

[elir32]

Currently visiting wa from sa. Spent a few days in kalgorlie and headed south to busselton. So so different from sa! What got me in kal was everyone drove v8s. I saw one four door 34 and every other bloke was in a brand new ve v8. My girlfriend and I were discussing the same thing- the thought of shifting here and work away for a while to save for a house deposit. Is this a bad time to consider this option? My girlfriends mum manages one of the hotels in kal which would be an easy way of getting into the area.

Have seen next to no imports at all- I saw a gts 33 with gtr badges on it in busselton earlier and then a 2 door 34 and that's all I've seen. How hard is it to get a car complied over here? For instance with aftermarket mods/ turbo etc the works? This would be a headache for me with my current ride.

Are cops hassling import owners here? Again in sa we have cops hassling us constantly- defect stations daily and targeting imports and pulling them over constantly..

[StevenCJR31]

Ha ha, lots of bogans driving around kalgoorlie in their v8s

Hannan street seems to be the favourite dragstrip! If you want to live / work there

Go for it I reckon but remember it can get bloody hot in kal so choose your job carefully

[jjman]

yeah its just the associated areas. Anything with tradies and miners and there will be a locust plague of V8's.

other areas of perth n u can still come across lots of JDM. Easy to pick up a good cheap well modded JDM in perth.

otherwise, if you have options to move and a foot in to any job, do it. WA is a spoiled workplace, even when it isn't on the up n up. Its easy to make it happen.

[elir32]

How hard is compliance for modded vehicles in wa? In sa everything has to be standard and undergo inspections. We don't require roadworthys either in sa yet.

There was definitely a lot of nice new v8s there-I love the imports but will admit some of the v8s were very decent- I guess miner wages can offord them.eg. VE senators etc.

Currently in sa I pretty much don't drive my skyline anymore- the police blitz going on are insane- to the level of walking shopping centre car parks and defecting parked cars while the occupants are shopping, using bait vehicles, land cruisers and other vehicles to blend in, massive defect stations on main roads and so many unjust defects being handed out by idiot police who don't know what they are looking at. Hope you guys don't have to deal with this here.

[jjman]

its a broad spectrum n I think it has to do with what ur car looks like, where you drive mostly, and how you drive when it matters.

Iv heard from peeps getting defect notices several times a year, iv had skylines (motor and body modified) for 5 years drive em damn hard n never been pulled. Tho I choose my moments well, don't drive in shitty 'high risk' areas and otherwise my car is very clean.

beyond that, you can go pretty mad with mods as there is no yearly inspection and otherwise the cops really are pretty chilled and liberal here. but yeah, have a nasty primered bodykit and loud as fk exhaust and peel out sideways from maccas so all the kids can bow down before you- you will get a lot of hassle. But that goes for anywhere really doesn't it?

[shaunus]

_{There are imports in Kal.... See a few GTRs, GTT's and GTST's around quiet often. One bayside blue? BNR32 in particular! Things pretty dope!}

_{Within the next 12 months there will be a BNR34 vspc ii in Kal}

[elir32]

I saw a silver 4door 34 and a white 2 door 34 lastnight at kal, and a stagea-didn't see the others...nice-I always keep my eyes open for bnr34s. There's a few tasty ones back home in Adelaide- everyone's in hiding at the moment with operation falcon on (defect blitz targeting imports and modifies vehicles)

[Hattori Hanzo 69]

There is a 1000hp R32 GTR in Kal, was at power cruise on the weekend

[shaunus]

LIke a bayside blue sort of colour?

[Hattori Hanzo 69]

gun metal grey

[Mayuri Krab]

Have seen next to no imports at all- I saw a gts 33 with gtr badges on it in busselton earlier and then a 2 door 34 and that's all I've seen. How hard is it to get a car complied over here? For instance with aftermarket mods/ turbo etc the works? This would be a headache for me with my current ride.

Are cops hassling import owners here? Again in sa we have cops hassling us constantly- defect stations daily and targeting imports and pulling them over constantly..

Pretty easy from my experience since (as mentioned already) there are no annual vehicle inspections & AFAIK mod laws are not as strict as compared to some eastern states.

Cops aren't too bad at all from my experience & reading around, for one I have never seen/heard about cops in WA doing specific 'defect operations' here, the do the usual RBT/booze buses operations & camping with speed guns, but never those operations that target nothing but people with modified cars (& usually only imports or V8s, while your rusty bucket Camry can go through unnoticed) as seen from TT/ACA by eastern state police (Vic in particular).

WA has the lowest fines for minor speeding I believe, under 9km/h over is only $75 with ZERO demerit points (compared to most eastern state which will be ~double the fine & have atleast 1 demerit points), so you never have to worry about losing your license for accidently creeping over the limit, although this might change in the future with the 'please think of the children' group crying about people doing 5k over & killing babies *roll eyes*.

Also this is the only state in Australia where radar detectors are legal

Edited October 11, 2013 by Mayuri Krab

[Paulie C]

Really, radar detectors are legal, i thought they were cracking down on that.

[Hank Scorpio]

 

Cops aren't too bad at all from my experience & reading around, for one I have never seen/heard about cops in WA doing specific 'defect operations' here, the do the usual RBT/booze buses operations & camping with speed guns, but never those operations that target nothing but people with modified cars (& usually only imports or V8s, while your rusty bucket Camry can go through unnoticed) as seen from TT/ACA by eastern state police (Vic in particular).

 

Lol! You've gotta be kidding me right? I've been to three completely separate import car meets/cruises that have been specifically targeted by police in order to defect as many cars as possible, in fact that is the exact reason my Cosmo sits unregistered in my garage.

Also one of the three police "stings" had TT/ACA there filming. We have it as bad as everyone else in the country. Traffic cops are in general a bunch of kunce.

[Mayuri Krab]

Really, radar detectors are legal, i thought they were cracking down on that.

They said that last year, & the year before that... but still yet to happen.

There were mentions of it being made illegal because 'bla bla bla, speeding kills, bla bla bla radar detector makes people go 300km/h without getting caught, bla bla bla' ealier this year too, but there hasn't being any follow up with it, looks like the issue has being sweeped under the rug again.

I went through several Police RBTs with my radar detector on the wind screen & the cops never mentioned about it.

Lol! You've gotta be kidding me right? I've been to three completely separate import car meets/cruises that have been specifically targeted by police in order to defect as many cars as possible, in fact that is the exact reason my Cosmo sits unregistered in my garage.

Also one of the three police "stings" had TT/ACA there filming. We have it as bad as everyone else in the country. Traffic cops are in general a bunch of kunce.

I guess big meets/cruises are a different kettle of fish, but when I had my R33 as a daily I used to drive around the 'hot spots' on weekends but never got defected before, had 'random' license checks or police doing a U-turn to catch up & then sit on my arse for minutes but never got defected. Even the times I got done for speeding the cops that pulled me over just gave me a ticket & never mentioned anything about defects, despite I had 3 dodgy aftermarket gauage installs done with double sided tape.

Now my current daily drive, despite being faster & more powerful than my old R33 is 99% immune to defects .

EDIT: But I still maintain that WA is better than most eastern states for low level speeding particularly the 0 demerit point one for <9km/h, although this might change if the newspaper is to be believe where they are thinking of increasing the fines for low level speeding & adding demerit points to it...

Edited October 18, 2013 by Mayuri Krab

[RBMunkie]

WA is the best state for hoons.

Period.

LOL

[chus13]

We have it as bad as everyone else in the country.

I have to disagree with you there. I moved over from Vic a few months ago and the laws and cops are far worse over there.

[monkeyman]

Lol! You've gotta be kidding me right? I've been to three completely separate import car meets/cruises that have been specifically targeted by police in order to defect as many cars as possible, in fact that is the exact reason my Cosmo sits unregistered in my garage.

Also one of the three police "stings" had TT/ACA there filming. We have it as bad as everyone else in the country. Traffic cops are in general a bunch of kunce.

Sounds like you have had a bad experience there.

I used to rant and rave about cops when I was younger but I havnt been pulled for 3 years now even with heavily modified cars and illegal mods

[Hank Scorpio]

WA is the best state for hoons.

Period.

LOL

Fkn wut?

That's what they said about Queensland ~3 years ago

Sounds like you have had a bad experience there.

I used to rant and rave about cops when I was younger but I havnt been pulled for 3 years now even with heavily modified cars and illegal mods

Not really, no. Leesh recently got a sticker and has had a hard time getting it off, had lots of other mates and acquaintances having trouble recently as well.

All the states are as bad as each other, wanna' go somewhere good for car enthusiasts? Move to California or Texas