In Kanadas Autohauptstadt sagen Reparaturwerkstätten, dass qualifizierte Techniker fast unmöglich zu finden sind

„We didn’t want to pay for apprentices, and now we can’t find any journeyman. You just can’t explain that.“

Seriously this has been a long time coming in trades, automotive being especially bad for it. I worked with a lot of lube techs that changed filters their 4 years of apprenticeship and then couldn’t keep a job because no one wants a journeyman who only knows how to change oil.

And those were the ones lucky enough to get an apprenticeship. I graduated my training in 2008 just before the financial crash and I was dropping off resumes from Squamish to Chilliwack. A good number of my friends took camp jobs to make it through.

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No shit, Its the retail of trades!
We get Treated like shit. We get paid like shit. I’m currently searching for a way out on my way out of the career.

seriously, It’s one of the hardest trades.

1. Tools are expensive. We used to be expected to bring the basics which isn’t the case anymore, Now we are expected to go above and beyond. I have 30k alone invested.
 
2. No one likes a Mechanic. For some reason people think I will work on their car for free. Neighbors. Friends. „Oh can you..“ 
But for some reason, I have to pay my HVAC/Electrician Friend? 

3. It’s the hardest trades to learn imo because.. 
a) You have to learn the basics of every trade. you have your Plumbing. HVAC. Electricical. Structural. Hydraulic. Figuring out blueprinting. 
b) You are expected to be on top of the Technology 
c) Everything is communication. If I miscommunicate. HO BOY. I HEAR ABOUT IT.

on top of all of this, Here is a scenario of my daily work day..

I’m underneath a dashboard. Twisted my body. in a hot shop. It’s 40°C.  Diagnosing an electrical problem.
I have the shop advisor coming around every 20 mins asking if „I’m done yet. how long I’m going to be“ there is another job coming! 

ALL OF THIS. for 30$ an hour. because.. Our time isn’t worth shit for some reason.

Worst of all. 

You make a post about HVAC or Plumber. It’s met with „Oh well. that’s just how it is..“
Now go make a post about seeing a Mechanic.
Look at the Anger whenever you make a post about seeing a Mechanic.

I seriously hate my trade. Hate hate hate. Everyday I want out.
Everyday I dread going to work.

My body hurt. My mind isn’t there. and I’m tired.

– work for a dealer that pays you a pre determined rate for your labour. Situation goes sideways for shit outside your control? Too bad, you’re only get paid an hour because the book we wrote says so, doesn’t matter you’re a half day into a fucking nightmare.

– doing warranty work instead of customer pay work? You get paid less, even for the same job.

– you need to provide all of your own tools and hope to god no one steals any of your shit while you’re not there.

– you work around dangerous chemicals all day long. The cancer rate among automotive techs is way above average.

– your body is literally in tatters by the time you’re 50. But you’re not making Oil Rig money to squirrel away for rainy days.

– every single customer thinks you’re trying to rob them. They decline the services you recommend them get mad at you when shit goes sideways.

– you have coworkers that DO try to rob people and give your trade a bad name. They don’t give a fuck.

– it’s alllll about metrics now. Customer Pay dollars per Work Order. Labour hours per work order. How come those metrics aren’t always improving every single month or every single year? Maybe because at a certain point you can’t squeeze water from stone.

– unlike the United States, car dealers are owned by like 4 companies pretending to be 50 companies. They all work together to keep wages low. You can make wayyyyy more south of the border.

I have a FUCK ton of respect for automotive techs. I couldn’t put up with the shit they have to deal with. And now the industry is surprised they can’t find workers. Literally brought it upon themselves.