The demand and supply of tradesmen: Tasmania's future prospects in the automotive industry

For a number of years there appears to have been shortages of suitably qualified tradesmen in most trades. Further it has been suggested that due to a misallocation of resources within the education system (i.e., an over-emphasis of higher education) the problem will not be solved by current apprenticeship completions. The present undersupply situation is thus expected to continue and perhaps worsen over the next four years.The purpose of this study is to examine the situation as it applies to the automotive industry in Tasmania; to substantiate or repudiate the claim and suggest suitable corrective measures if these are required. In conducting this study a total of 81 firms, representing approximately 60% of the Tasmanian automotive industry, were personally surveyed. The material reproduced in Chapters 3, 4 and 5 should prove of particular interest to these firms.