Where have all the good automotive staff gone

There is no doubt in Australia, but specifically in NSW, that there are currently technical staff deficiencies across all roles from mechanical to paint and panel.

Why is this?

Is it because NSW schools expect the students to stay on to a more mature age, potentially restricting those younger people who would rather leave at 15 years of age and start a trade?

Or is it because the school students today are exposed to more technical opportunities where they don’t have to do an apprenticeship for lower dollars in working conditions that include the extreme hot and cold conditions of the Australian seasons?

Or is it simply that the trade path has lost some of its appeal in comparison to university or higher education pathways? Or pressure from parents?

It’s not only technically qualified staff that are becoming rarer, it’s also the other 50 plus roles that support automotive businesses from administration clerks, phone staff, human resources, detailers, service advisors, management and sales people through to pre-delivery nontechnical staff.