To the Sydney Morning Herald, 22/9/05

letters@smh.com.au

Subject: Attract young to Trades with reduced wages
Dear Editor,

Situation:A trade skills shortage
Goal: Attract more people to the trades.

Howard solution: Reduce wages in trades.

In the alternate universe Howard lives in, this makes perfect sense.
In the real world, apprentice wages are pretty close to the bone already. The first few years are that of financial hardships and long hours both at work and at TAFE. It takes a committed and mature individual to look past this period. The tempation for a young adult to take a higher paying McJob that doesn't require hours at TAFE must be extremely strong. The trades already have a high dropout rate as it is, reducing their incomes isn't going to help.

In Howard's alternate universe where the market solves every policy ineptitude, consumer prices for trade services will be lower and Australia will be more competitive on the global market.
In the real world, less supply of a necessary service pushes the price up. If a trade isn't attractive to enter, who will do the electrics? Who will repair the car? Who will engineer our next product to export overseas?


Irrespective of these logical arguements, do we want an Australia that encourages such a gap in wealth? Do we really want to pay that little bit less for a service knowing the individual providing that service cannot afford to buy a home or give their children a decent education? I don't.

(My sig removed)