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This week's survey
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(These survey questions are sent in by our readers. Please spend a minute to give your answer to this week's survey as one or possibly more of your industry peers thinks this question is important and wishes to see your point of view as well as others in the industry.)
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Last week's survey results on the question of .....:
Do you feel that everybody operating a business in our industry should be trade qualified and prevented from opening a business if they are not qualified?:
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- Just which trade do you think should have the right to control this 'industry', there are so many different segments to the market that we are in. I am a fitter and machinist trade qualified. Should it be printers, maybe carpenters or builders, or is it electricians. I would much rather see some business acumen filter into the industry than mandate a particular trade.
- Sounds like a veiled swipe at Franchises. I am not not from the Sign Industry but have run a franchise for 14 years. We started up with qualified staff (as recommended by the Franchise) but have found it more and more difficult to find "qualified" people and found that industry experience seems to be the only option.
The one Major thing I have observed over the 14 years is that none of the "qualified staff" have had any idea about business practices.
Most of the qualified guys I see see out there running a small shop have no idea or inclination to adhere to WHS requirements and don't see any value in being a part of an industry associations like ASGAA where they can get all of that info.
I have seen to many old fashioned Signees that got their ticket years ago and have done no training since - we send our Production Staff on the supplier training courses ie Avery and 3M application courses, Roland print/colour management etc etc at a minimum of once every 12 months. With the really poor numbers that turn up to these courses it seems the "qualified guys" know it all and don't need to learn about the new products and techniques.
So what do the Qualifications really stand for these days? My observations - they certainly teach you how to design/make signs but they certainly do not teach you how to run a sign BUSINESS..
- Yes, otherwise why bother with apprenticeships or formal training?
(Maurice, Watermark Press (NZ)
- No. Being trade qualified doesn't qualify you as a Business owner.
It gives you the tools and experience for you to do the work.
Effectively managing a business and staff come from experience and further qualifications such as a Diploma or Batchelor of Business and further Business management training.
- Depends - how does one become trade qualified in a small business situation. For the larger operations where larger machinery is used, yes, some training either by TAFE or similar or apprenticeship. In my case, as a small business I could easily train someone to takeover.
- I believe the industry should be regulated and licensed which will require someone within the business to be trade qualified.
Too many are opening businesses within our industry that have no experience at all and ruining it for those that have been in here for years through incorrect material selection or simply using the cheapest available to win jobs over others.
(Justin, Just In Signs)
- Definitely. Although when we started, we had no qualifications, and looking back now it showed... not in everything but in some things, choice of media etc. Now we have the qualifications we would not look back. Those without the qualifications tend to price incorrectly as they are not using the correct product for the project, and do not know all of the unseen expenses to produce quality products.
- Makes it a bit hard now in my business as "screen printing" is no longer a trade course so I would love to know how I am supposed to get new trade qualified staff.
- Well in a perfect world everybody would be qualified in their chosen profession but that's not how it works.
In times past you had to have a trade qualification & experience to be employed in the sign game but so much of the work of manufacturing signage is computerised these days anyone can get into making signs and doing wide format printing.
I recently saw a demo of a new piece of wide format kit that's pretty much a robot. It requires 5 minutes of maintenance a month and the media is loaded in drawers from where the machine selects & loads the machine.
I also make the point that the big sign franchises target people with good sales & people skills, not necessarily people with industry skills.
- No I don't as the sign trade, like any other trade has many qualified tradesmen who are very good at the job, but there are also a lot of qualified people who are crap. Equally there are un-qualified people who are crap as well as plenty who are good. All trades have some of each. & the reality is that if you a job that is crap then you won't get paid....qualified or not.
David, Dejay Signs)
- You have had this survey before. After close to 20 years of Signarama and Signwave in Australia how can you even ask this question. Their sign franchises owners are far more qualified to run a sign business than 50% of the smaller sign companies in Australia.
- There are currently around 150 Signarama and 25 Signwave sign franchises out there preforming well above the average small sign business. Each sign franchise employs qualified sign specialists who ARE trained and qualified to support those franchise business owners.Note that between the 180 sign franchises they employ around 250 experienced sign guys. How many does Joe Blow Signs employ?
(Brian, Praetorian B.M.C).
- It would be nice wouldn't it, however in my 18 years in business not one customer has ever asked to see my trade certificate.So not likely to happen. You can own any business you want, with the right staff any thing is possible.
- Trade qualified? Does this mean certified? Does this mean having done an apprenticeship? Does this mean working in the industry for 17+ years? Does that mean that any person running a business should have done a business management degree? If you are competent at your work, the results speak for themselves, irrespective of a piece of paper.
(Yolinda, Almost Anything Web & Graphic Design)
- Absolutely. I'm sick and tired of having to compete against people who have not done the same hard yards in terms of trade qualified training as I had. I did my 4 years of training under an extremely hard Taskmaster which made me the trades person I am today. That is why I put my registration number that says I completed my apprenticeship successfully on my quotes and my vehicle. There should be a standard licensing system like the building and construction industry. I am now competing against tattooists who think that having a computer and a printer makes them a sign writer. These same type of people are undercutting the industry to the point where the money I make to support my family would not by me a can of baked beans. If an electrician wanted to work in the industry it is compulsory to have the correct licence to practice. Why the hell can't our paper tiger Association (ASGA) do the same against these franchise fly by nighters.
- It's a bit late for that now. Had there been a regulative system in place twenty - thirty years ago like that with other trades (eg. electricians etc,) we would have a lot more apprentices & qualified tradespeople in the industry now. Our industry would be a lot more respected & appreciated. Not saying that there is a lot of very talented people out there with in the industry doing a great job who have not being trained within the industry. And there are lot more out there who are shocking at what they do.
(Bernie, Geraldton GraFX)
- No, I started business as a signwriter about 25 years ago with no official qualifications at all. After a short time in business a young girl wanted an apprenticeship with me. My business was inspected and my work was up to standard so I was able to employ her, she went on to be the Apprentice of the Year. Now employ about 10 people and have won awards for quality work. We have too many regulations that tend to stifle innovations and new startups. The real test is the quality of your work.
- Not only trade qualified but also with over $10m of capital, accompanied by their parents who must be over 85 years of age plus still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. This question almost as dumb as Donald Trump.
(Max, Metal Sign & Label)
(As a publishing practice to protect ourselves from any potential liability, company and individual names that are referred to negatively in any of these comments are removed.
In addition we reserve the right to remove comments that are either considered offensive or are blatant advertising for one product or company)
Please spend a minute to give your answer to this week's survey as one or possibly more of your industry peers thinks this question is important and wishes to see your point of view as well as others in the industry.
Thanks.
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Give yourself some mental exercise and keep your brain fit
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