8 minute read
News
BREAKING THE BIAS
For a brighter automotive industry
From our family owned and operated Members to our multinational Preferred Suppliers, Capricorn has watched as men and women contribute an incredible amount of time, sweat and tears to our businesses, and our industry. In early March, the world recognised International Women’s Day, where we focused on how we can #BreakTheBias. Breaking the bias is a challenge the automotive industry must overcome. Overcoming our biases, breaking down stereotypes and rewriting the narrative of the automotive industry as a ‘man’s industry,’ is a key step in building a sustainable automotive industry. Creating a welcoming and diverse industry can alleviate some of the big challenges we face right now. For example, it has never been more important to close the skills gap and we shouldn’t limit our talent pool to one gender. We often like to think we don’t have any biases; however, often we aren’t even aware of them. We need to face up to the unconscious prejudices and overcome some of the barriers preventing industry diversification. When we can overcome these challenges, the benefits speak for themselves. Research indicates having a diverse workplace is clearly linked to improvements in business performance, effectiveness, profitability, and revenue generation. Women bring a wealth of skills and perspectives to our industry that increases creativity and innovation. From helping to finance and develop the first automobile, to designing cutting-edge vehicles, to leading one of the world’s largest car manufacturers, women have been behind some of the biggest innovations in the industry. Our industry can be a great place to work, but it’s longterm sustainability hinges on its ability to attract and retain new talent, including a higher percentage of women. By providing safe spaces for all and welcoming a broader spectrum of people — whether as team members, customers, or enthusiasts — we can create a diverse and sustainable industry. If you’re interested in how Capricorn can help you build a stronger, sustainable business, visit www.capricorn.coop to arrange a visit from your local Capricorn representative. Yours in cooperation, David Fraser Group CEO – Capricorn Society Ltd For more on Capricorn Society membership, visit www.capricorn.coop David Fraser Group CEO, Capricorn Society Ltd
NEW MEMBERS CONTINUED
Mortlake Automotive 60 Tennyson Road MORTLAKE NSW 2137 Ph: 02 9743 1506 E: frankvax@gmail.com MotorMeister Pty Ltd 5/ 4 Willingdon Street ARCHERFIELD QLD 4108 Ph: 07 3274 1661 E: info@motormeister.com.au Mud Maniacs CHAMBERS FLAT QLD 4133 E: sales@mudmaniacs.com.au Multidrive Technology 25 Hume Reserve Court BELL PARK VIC 3215 Ph: 03 5240 7150 E: thawkes@kineticeng.com.au Neils Automotive Servicing 3/ 20 Tradelink Road HILLCREST QLD 4118 Ph: 07 3806 7260 E: neilsautomotive@gmail.com Opposite Lock WARWICK FARM 13 Hume Highway WARWICK FARM NSW 2170 Ph: 02 8777 5800 E: john@oppositelockwarwickfarm.com.au PEC Australia 16/ 477 Warrigal Road MOORABBIN VIC 3189 Ph: 1300 856 903 E: chat@e4eonline.com Peel Exhaust & Towbar Centre 2 Thornborough Road GREENFIELDS WA 6210 Ph: 08 9581 6500 E: peelexhaust@gmail.com Performance Plus 20A Endurance Avenue QUEANBEYAN EAST NSW 2620 Ph: 02 6297 5302 E: di@performanceplus.net.au Playtime Auto Parts 1 Bubeck Street SUNBURY VIC 3429 Ph: 03 9740 8885 E: sales@playtimeautoparts.com.au Premier Tint - Enoggera 19 Pickering Street ENOGGERA QLD 4051 Ph: 07 3354 1111 E: graygill@bigpond.com Premier Tint - Rocklea 680 Beaudesert Road ROCKLEA QLD 4106 Ph: 07 3274 6088 E: graygill@bigpond.com Rontons 7 Henry Street STEPNEY SA 5069 Ph: 08 8363 5533 E: rontons@bigpond.com RVS Technology Australia 37 Shanahan St REDLAND BAY QLD 4165 Ph: 0458431868 E: arto-repo@rvstec.com.au Scentine Pty Ltd Unit 3, 5 Gregg Place CRESTWOOD NSW 2620 Ph: 02 62363009 E: johnakzvehicleengineering@gmail.com Service Journal 13 Barrabooka Street CLONTARF NSW 2093 Ph: 0430 218 469 E: lachlan@servicejournal.com.au SnJ Precision Automotive 29 Percy St WARWICK QLD 4370 E: snjprecisionauto@bigpond.com Solve Offroad 4 Enterprise Dve GLENDENNING NSW 2761 Ph: 02 96770434 E: ben@solveoffroad.com.au South Gippsland Cars & Offroad 2 Tilson Court LEONGATHA VIC 3953 Ph: 03 5662 5554 E: leongatha@sgoffroad.com.au Southern Car Care 8 Zaknic Place BUNBURY WA 6230 Ph: 08 9791 4440 E: sales@southerncarcare.com.au Sovereign Auto Repairs 80 King William Street KENT TOWN SA 5067 Ph: 08 8362 5997 E: anthony@sovereignauto.com.au Specialised Automotive Pty Ltd 143 Auckland Street BEGA NSW 2550 Ph: 02 6492 2888 E: specialbega2550@gmail.com Springwood Car Care 24 Lawson Road SPRINGWOOD NSW 2777 Ph: 02 4751 6036 E: springwoodcarcare@yahoo.com.au The Muffler Man 430-436 Malvern Road PRAHRAN VIC 3181 Ph: 03 9529 7722 E: trevor@themufflerman.com.au Till Payments Solutions Pty Ltd Level 7,78 Waterloo Road MACQUARIE PARK NSW 2113 Ph: 1300369692 E: taylor.kanaan@tillpayments.com Toffolon Motors 2/ 12 Hartnett Drive SEAFORD VIC 3198 Ph: 03 9785 1811 E: peninsulatowbars.pt@gmail.com Tuff Car Parts Pty Ltd Factory 10, 38 Christensen Sreet CHELTENHAM VIC 3192 Ph: 03 9532 1620 E: justin@tuffcarparts.com.au Tullamarine Auto Repairs 1/ 17 Lindaway Place TULLAMARINE VIC 3043 Ph: 03 9330 4090 E: sales@tullamarineautorepairs.com.au Vision Automotive Technology 600 Waterdale Road HEIDELBERG WEST VIC 3081 Ph: 0417 668 681 E: eddy@visionautotech.co.th Voldat Automotive 46 Roberna Street MOORABBIN VIC 3189 Ph: 03 95531091 E: bertone@ozemail.com.au V-Tech Aus 10 Hercules Street TULLAMARINE VIC 3043 Ph: 03 9966 3863 E: sales@vtuned.com.au Xtend Outdoors 354 Mons Road FOREST GLEN QLD 4556 Ph: 1300 783 73 E: accounts@xtendoutdoors.com.au
SKILLS SHORTAGE
We’ve been talking about this for so long. And it is now the perfect storm: we had a skills shortage before the pandemic, and we are emerging on the other side with a skills shortage in every industry and the numbers in auto repair and service have worsened – particularly in Queensland and Western Australia. Auto trades is now in the top ten vacancies in most states of Australia. Of course, we’re all talking about it. Volumes of repair, service and modification are all up on pre-COVID numbers and the new challenge is managing consumer demand. The new message to our customer base is “can you wait two to three weeks for a service? And maybe even longer for a modification?” One thing is certain: if you just found a new staff member and alleviated your circumstances, you just created one for someone else. Our talent pool is not growing, and word of mouth remains the number one method of recruitment. So effectively, when you are one staff member up, then someone else is now at least one down. It is a wicked problem with no easy solution. When we post the new vacancy numbers, we always get feedback that oversimplifies the problem – “just pay them more.” Yes, no doubt pay rates are an issue, but that’s not the silver bullet. There isn’t one. There is no easy single answer that will alleviate our shortage in the short or medium term. The ideal strategy is of course to widen the pool of people attracted to work in our industry and to keep the great talent we have now. But the debate is often either too complicated: “we need to fix the training system first,” or it is dominated by dead-end observations that don’t lead to a solution: “it is a dirty job, everyone wants their kids to go to uni.” You’ve heard these before. Sometimes these perceptions get in our way of finding a path forward – they feel like ‘all is lost, so what’s the point.’ The point is we have a great industry with an incredible future. We are heading into the greatest technological change since we moved to the horseless carriage. It is exciting and we can, and we should, tell the workforce that this is a job full of promise. But how should we pitch the message and where? A brand-new survey of Australian Auto Technicians is the most pragmatic and opportunistic survey of our time – its designed to pull out the best way to talk to the future workforce and what we can do right now to keep our talent. It is not going to result in any academic accolades – it is a survey designed to give us answers that we can use right now. So, right now, please help and encourage every auto apprentice to fill it out. You probably need staff, and we need answers. It is time to get out of our own way and get it started. And if that doesn’t attract you to pump the survey, there are great prizes to be won! To view the survey, please scan the QR code. Lesley Yates, AAAA Director of Government Relations and Advocacy info@aaaa.com.au
ALCIUS SUMMER TRADE PROMOTION AN OUTSTANDING SUCCESS
Alcius, which explains it provides Australia’s most comprehensive range of automotive climate control parts, tools and equipment for air conditioning specialists and general repairers, conducted a major national trade promotion extending from November 2021 through to the end of January 2022. More than $30,000 worth of prizes were won by BAPCOR Trade customers during this highly successful summer promotion, with the major prize being the Alcius Ultimate Summer Set Up. This included a Gasmate Galaxy Black Hood LPG Outdoor Kitchen, Samsung 65-inch The Terrace 4K QLED Smart TV, Marquise nine-piece Outdoor Rectangular Dining Setting, Cyrus 300cm Square Cantilever Outdoor Umbrella, Masport Woodfire Pizza Oven with Cover and a Fire Pit BBQ 30-inch Grill/Portable Fireplace. The spending of $200 or more on any Alcius parts purchases from BAPCOR Trade outlets including BaxtersMTQ, Burson Auto Parts, JAS Oceania and WANO during the promotion period earned an automatic entry to the draw. A total of 90 BAPCOR Trade customers took home weekly prizes during this three-month summer promotion including Alcius BBQ Tool Kits, Beefeater BBQs and Husky 46 Litre fridges – all prizes which were no doubt put to good use over our long and hot summer. Congratulations go to the Alcius Ultimate Summer Set Up promotion grand prize winner, which was Woods Auto Electrical and Air Conditioning (QLD). Alcius says its unrivalled air conditioning parts range continues to grow and now includes more than 1,500 air conditioning compressor applications sourced from quality aftermarket and Original Equipment manufacturers. “We are delighted with the trade response and broad BAPCOR Business participation in our first major Alcius national trade promotion. We congratulate all of the winners and all of our trade customers who took part,” BAPCOR Group Category Manager, Mark Caldone, said. “By selecting Alcius, your air conditioning repair work will be done right the first time, no matter what sector your workshop specialises in – we have the parts, tools and equipment that you need.” To find out more about the Alcius Complete Climate Control product range, visit www.alcius.com.au
