WHAT ARTICLES WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ? LET US KNOW : EDITOR @ GEMCELL . COM . AU
THE HUMAN ISSUE
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
CHANGING ATTITUDES TO WHAT AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR LOOKS LIKE ARE HELPING INDUSTRY TRANSITION TO A BRAVE NEW WORLD OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION .
P icture a tradie , electrician or even an apprentice , and who comes to mind ? If you ’ re anything like most people , chances are you see a young white bloke . And you ’ d be correct : according to the National Centre for Vocational Education Research , the overwhelming majority of tradies entering the workforce are non-Indigenous , Australian-born men in their 20s and 30s who speak only English at home .
But that picture is slowly changing as industry gets on board with diversity and inclusion . It might sound like annoying corporate speak but the results are impressive , building happier , more productive teams who benefit from varied skillsets .
“ It ' s a really exciting time for the industry because it ' s creating opportunities for people who might not have traditionally taken an apprenticeship or trades industry pathway ,” says Melissa Stanford , managing director of Add Staff , a specialist trades industry recruitment company .
INCLUDING EVERYONE So what is diversity and inclusion , exactly ? It ’ s actually pretty simple : diversity is a commitment to recruiting men and women across differences in cultural background , age , religious affiliation , disability status and sexual orientation , and inclusion is helping everyone to work together to improve performance and wellbeing .
For Luke Griffiths , owner of Perth ’ s Metro Electrical , which employs about 20 staff and shops at Gemcell wholesalers Middy ' s of Welshpool and Myelec at Osbourne Park , diversity means hiring staff who can deliver the goods , regardless of what they look like or where they ’ re from .
“ We ’ re not looking for a specific type of person – it ’ s more based on skills .”
It ’ s part of a broader commitment to delivering a service that reflects the company ’ s diverse local community .
“ We want to move on with the times and keep up to date – we want to be proactive ,” Griffiths says . “ Before there were more expectations around who can be an electrician , whereas now it ’ s more inclusive of everybody .”
DEC – JAN 2022 GEMCELL . COM . AU 23