Yes Hasbeen, a similar situation for me, as my bother and I used to live at a sea side town, and we used to dig blood worms and yabbies, that we then sold on the weekend at the boat ramp.

We also could get a job after school and get paid cash, whereas now, the paper work involved in just trailing a worker is a deterrent.

Prior to that, we used to pick tabbacco and tomatoes, and we were also paid for what we picked, as there was no attendance money on offer in this days.

Theses days, that type of arrangement (get paid for what you do) no longer applies, as the unions have ensured that the less productive worker is entitled to a minimum hourly rate, despite their throughput and, they are also protected by laws such as unfair dismissal.

The other problem with many young workers is face book, as many if them update their FB ongoing throughout the day, so one, they are attached to their mobiles, and two, their focus is not on the task at hand.

As a result, we now have appearance money in many workplaces.

Another fact is that most 25 year olds are more likely to have finacial commitments, car, house bills, family perhaps and, as a result, they are often more eger to hold their jobs.

But, don't take my word for it, go ahead, change the IR laws and let's see what happens.

After all, the result of labor's idea of better, fairer IR laws, have Brough about casualization of the workforce and contract employment.

How clever is that.

Last I heard, butchering was considered a 'skilled' trade; one has to do an apprenticeship in order to become one.
Last I heard, apprentices are paid according to their year (experience, level of skill), not their age.
Last I heard, most apprenticeships were 4 years, so one doesn't become fully qualified until at least 20.
The adult minimum wage applies essentially to unskilled workers, like checkout chicks or 'console operators', or laborers, or as in Hasbeen's example, piece workers/pickers. Obviously, a bucket of cherries should cost the same, regardless of the age of the picker.
Once the basic skills are learned, these jobs can be done satisfactorily by people of any age, yet older people are deliberately discriminated against because of their age, and children are being exploited when they are essentially doing the work of an adult.
The reason there is a skill shortage in this country is because most kids can't see the value in spending 4 years working for less than adult wages to end up working for buggrall more than the median wage anyway, -unless they find a job in a mine somewhere.

Yes Grim, I agree in some areas. Motor mechanics working in a dealership are not well rewarded for their study, but I don't know a single electrician, plumber or appliance repair man whose income is not well into 6 figures. Oh, & that is only what they admit to, & pay tax on.

Around here a good mechanic, working in his backyard can earn similar money.

While waiting for his navy course to start my teenage son was earning $1500 a week working for a plasterer. If you are a hard worker building trades pay well.

There are some trades where there is no scope for the employer to pay more, but pick well, & a trade is better than a degree in many areas, when it comes to income, if not satisfaction.

Hi there REHCTUB...

Ah HASBEEN...the old 'Inter', two years before the Leaving ! Yup I completed my Intermediate Certificate in 1956, and passed my Leaving in 1958.

The old 'Inter' was very necessary if one wished to pursue a trade, go to Balcombe (Army Apprentice School), similarly for the Navy and RAAF Apprenticeship Schools, I think ? And the Leaving Certificate was necessary for a career in Banking, Insurance and many cadetships, and for entrance into some University courses also.

REHCTUB...

I'm not at all acquainted with the complex salary structures for our young people ? But from what I've been told, most young people today, seem to harbour this fallacious belief that they're much more highly qualified for a job, than the job they're doing or seeking ? In a few cases there may be some merit to that argument ?

Though,from what I've been told, it's more a case, they possess this implacable belief they should enjoy both a more exalted title or epithet for their job description, together with a salary commensurate with their own perceived abilities ?

Therefore perhaps this is the angle from which you're mounting your argument REHCTUB ? It's a case they're are asking for too much money, for their actual qualifications/abilities and the quality and quantity of their actual work ? A question to you if I may ? Would you pay the full adult rate to an 18 year old if they were capable of producing both the same quality, and quantity of work as an adult ?

Hi o sung yes qualifications & youth are one thing, being able to do the job is an entirely different thing. Kids come out of uni, present company included, thinking they are ready to rebuild the world. After a couple of years, if they are lucky enough to have a good trainer, they are about ready to earn their keep.

I watched an old fitter & turner, who was production manager at Gilbarco, [the petrol bowser manufacturer], be given 2 young graduate engineers, with a couple of years’ experience, about 3 months before his retirement, to train to take his place. His retirement was put back 3 times, for just on a year before one new chum was up to scratch, & the other had been replaced with one who was.

Yes the old bloke had grown with the company, but most systems were modern [then] standard practice.

I never expected a new chum, even an experienced one, to become productive in less than ¾ months, & worth their salary in less than 6. This was one advantage of promoting good staff where ever possible. Most of them knew how to do the job of their immediate superior before promotion. Plus it gave all the good people a reason to want to stay, when they knew they were like to gain promotion sooner rather than later.

Would you pay the full adult rate to an 18 year old if they were capable of producing both the same quality, and quantity of work as an adult ?
o sung wu,
Let's look at this from an employers' angle. If the 18 year old rocked up at the gate & started to produce like an adult then definitely yes, I would pay him adult wages.
If I had trained him & I would pay him adult wages as soon as he made me enough profit after having compensated me by lower apprentice wages for training him.
I would not penalise him & I would reward him/her for his/her incentive but then again I'm not the Government.