ANZSCO 3222-11Western Australia

Sheetmetal Trades WorkerDecember 2017

Labour Economics Office Western Australia

Department of Jobs and Small Business

Current labour market ratingNo Shortage

Previous labour market rating (November 2016)No Shortage

Comments

Employers in both the metropolitan and regional areas filled a majority of their vacancies for sheetmetal workers. However, employers seeking applicants from this trade with additional skills in lagging[1] struggled to find suitable applicants, which resulted in these particular vacancies mostly remaining unfilled.

Survey results[2]

  • This year employers filled 64 per cent of vacancies compared with 88 per cent in the previous year.
  • Metropolitan employers filled 57 per cent of vacancies, while regional employers filled 75 per cent of vacancies.
  • In 2016, metropolitan and regional employers respectively filled 67 per cent and 95 per cent of vacancies.
  • Survey results indicate significantly fewer applicants and suitable applicants this year compared
    to previous years.
  • Overall, employers reported an average of 5.7 applicants and 0.8 suitable applicants per vacancy this year.
  • Regional employers attracted considerably more applicants and suitable applicants on average
    (11.0 and 1.3 respectively), compared with metropolitan employers (2.7 and 0.6 respectively).
  • A number of vacancies in the metropolitan area sought sheetmetal workers who could also perform lagging work. These vacancies remained largely unfilled and have impacted theaverage number of suitable applicants and proportion of filled vacancies for this occupation this year.
  • When excluding the vacancies referenced above, survey results show 88 per cent of vacancies were filled, having attracted an average of 7.9 applicants and 1.1 suitable applicants.
  • Employers noted that sheetmetal workers are taking up opportunities on mine sites which provide larger scale work and attractive pay and conditions.

Employer Requirements

  • Employers contacted for this survey included those engaged in cooling and insulation, manufacturing and mining.
  • All surveyed employers soughtqualified applicants with relevant experience for the advertised vacancy (for example, pipe work, insulation or stainless steel manufacturing).
  • Further to this, employers sought punctual and well-presented applicants would could work effectively as a team and demonstrate good workmanship. Applicants were generally required to provide a police clearance.
  • In a number of instances employers sought sheetmetal workers who could also undertake lagging work. These vacancies remained largely unfilled as employers had difficulty attracting sheetmetal workers with this additional skillset.

Unsuitable applicants

  • While all surveyed employers sought qualified applicants, only 25 per cent of applicants held a relevant qualification. The lack of a relevant qualification was the most common reason applicants were deemed unsuitable.
  • Surveyed employers most frequently deemed qualified applicants to be unsuitable due to a lack of experience in specific tasks, including duct work or pipe work or in the trade more broadly.
  • In limited instances some applicants held qualifications in other trades such as plumbing. Employers deemed these applicants unsuitable as they did not hold relevant qualifications.

Demand and supply trends

  • In 2011, 73 per cent of sheetmetal trades workers were employed in the manufacturing industry, and 15 per cent employed in construction. Accordingly, occupational demand is strongly influenced by activity levels in these industries.[3]
  • Expenditure on buildings and structures peaked in the June quarter of 2012 at around
    $12.8 billion. Expenditure has steadily trended downwards since this point, with expenditure for the September 2017 quarter sitting 60 per cent below the June 2012 peak.[4]
  • The value of engineering construction work done in Western Australia declined by around
    33 per cent over the year to June 2017.[5]
  • Online vacancies for sheetmetal workers in Western Australia grew by six percent, rising each month over the year to December 2017.[6]
  • Entry into this trade is through completion of an apprenticeship incorporating a Certificate III in Engineering (Fabrication Trade). Sheetmetal workers would only be a small proportion of those undertaking the engineering fabrication apprenticeship and separate apprenticeship data for this trade is not available.

Labour Economics Office Western Australia

Department of Jobs and Small Business

[1] Lagger sits under ANSZCO 8219-13 and refers to the application of insulating materials, such as felt, fibreglass, polyurethane and cork, to pipes, steam generators, process vats and ducting, and secures insulation with wire, wire netting, staples, metal strapping and using welding torches.

[2] The methodology underpinning this research is outlined at Skill Shortage Research Methodology | Department of Jobs and Small Business - Document library, Australian Governmentand can also be accessed by the QR code.

[3] ABS, Census of Population and Housing, 2011

[4] ABS, 5625.0 Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure, Australia, Sep 2017, trend, Table 5c.

[5] ABS Cat.8762, Engineering Construction Activity, Australia, June 2017, Value of Work Done, Chain Volume Measures, seasonally adjusted. Table 2.

[6]Department of Jobs and Small Business, Internet Vacancy Index, December 2017, 4 digit, 12 month moving average