Crash industry repairing lives

Ten Indigenous job seekers have apprenticeships as panelbeaters and spraypainters, thanks to the tenacity of an industry insider

Mark Reid, a tradesman spraypainter who manages three workshops on Brisbane’s northside, spent a year knocking on doors before his seed of an idea became a reality. Along the way, he gathered support from fellow smash repairers, paint suppliers and insurance companies. Each has invested time and money in the project.

What’s most amazing are the backgrounds of the apprentices they chose. One was looking at jail time for being the lookout during a robbery; another was caught stealing while still on probation. All of them have history but Mark says they’re turning into fine workers.

“All the employers say they’re great when they’re at work,” he said. “They’re not bad kids, they’ve just done stupid things. And it’s not that they’re stupid, they just need role models.”

And that’s the benefit of smash repair workshops, which are dominated by hard-working, disciplined men. They can lead the apprentices by example, demonstrating everything from the basics of turning up to work to the finer details of their trade.

The apprentices respond accordingly. Jon Barney (pictured above) is one of the older apprentices in the group. He’s trodden a hard road to get to this point.

“I loved school – my maths, English, my sport, I loved it. I was making rep sides,” he said.

But, halfway through year 11, “I found out my missus was pregnant; just dropped school altogether and went straight into the workforce,” he said. “I was just in warehousing, doing landscaping, pick-packer, dead end.”

Having seen that side of life, he’s as keen as mustard about his panelbeating apprenticeship. “This (apprenticeship) is really a future,” he said. “You get your trade, that’s what everybody works for. I get that, then I can go anywhere.”

“Anywhere” might involve cashing in on the industry’s skill shortage as a tradesman, running a workshop or his own business, becoming an insurance assessor, teaching at TAFE or maybe travelling as a product demonstrator.

Jon says the future is bright for him, his partner and their five-year-old son. “For me, I’m doing good; I got a full-time job, I got a car, the next thing on my mind is a house. It’s coming together slowly but we’ll get there.”

Sowing the seed

Mark Reid clearly remembers the genesis of his idea. He and his wife Sharyn, a Koori lady, were visiting her family in northern NSW. Having a beer with some of the relatives, he asked them why a group of youths was just hanging around outside the pub. The reply was blunt: there was nothing for them to do and no future. The boys would go to jail; the girls would get pregnant.

Mark says he was shocked. “Something hit me,” he said. “I never realised there was a gap until I started looking.”

Having had opened his eyes by the NSW experience, Mark discovered parallels in Brisbane and decided to do something about it. His industry had a skills shortage and here was a pool of people that needed jobs.

Mark got his boss on side and then captured the interest of automotive paint suppliers like DuPont and PPG. Their representatives spread the word amongst other Brisbane-based smash repairers. Insurers added their financial clout – “Suncorp is supporting the program, RACQ is doing something with the program in the new year and NRMA are looking at helping the program,” Mark said.

The informal group brought in Busy At Work Indigenous Employment Solutions. They held an open day to attract applicants and signed the first group to a three-month training program. After this, ten were offered apprenticeships with their host employers.

Aged 17 to 23, they come from Cairns, Townsville, Cherbourg and Murgon, as well as greater Brisbane.

“Once they finish their apprenticeships, the sky’s the limit,” Mark said. “As tradesmen, they’ll be a valuable commodity. There’s a shortage of skilled workers (in the industry).”

Mark says he’d like to run more projects, building on the lessons he’s learned from this one. “I’d also like to get it to ripple into all trades,” he said.

 

Hero awards

The Smash Repair Industry Training Program for Indigenous Youth attracted the support of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Mick Gooda.

Mr Gooda awarded the apprentices with plaques for their efforts. The plaques were presented by Ron Weatherall, head of Queensland’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services.

“This is a program that is truly working and these young guys are leading by example,” Mr Gooda said. “These kids aren’t perfect, they have police records and court appearance dates but their employers work with them and their families to make sure they have the best chance possible

 “These young men are also setting an example for their younger brothers back at home, showing it’s normal to leave school and get a job or a trade and it’s not normal to leave school and go on the dole.”