Concerns over shortage of agricultural mechanics
Every farm machinery dealership has two open positions for a qualified mechanic.
An estimated 670 agricultural mechanics are needed to fill vacant positions at farm machinery companies across the country.
"Enormous and prolonged difficulties around recruitment of skilled staff" were raised in Dáil Eireann last week by the Independent Laois-Offaly TD Carol Nolan.
She said these concerns were brought to her by the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA), which represents farm machinery manufacturers, distributors, importers, dealers and associated partners.
"It has been clear to me for some time now that there are areas in the agriculture sector facing enormous and prolonged difficulties around recruitment of skilled staff", said Ms Nolan.
"Indeed, as I understand it from the FTMTA, there are in excess of 670 vacant positions for agricultural mechanics across the industry and, on average, every farm machinery dealership has two open positions for a qualified mechanic.
"We need a joined-up, cross-departmental approach to this crisis, and a fresh review of the critical skills list in this area. That is why I want to see the likes of the FTMTA front and centre at the table where these discussions will take place, particularly around apprenticeships".
Recruitment difficulties were raised last year by the FTMTA (which organises Ireland's largest farm machinery show, which will take place at the Punchestown Event Centre, Naas, Co Kildare, on Wednesday and Thursday, July 5-6).
FTMTA executive director Michael Farrelly said it was up to each company to make the effort in creating the conditions to which the right talent might be attracted, for example, by establishing and highlighting a defined career path in the industry.
"Young entrants would also benefit from experiencing all aspects of the trade rather than be shoehorned into just the one role straight from school or college", said Mr Farrelly.
He also referred to concern among dealers at the unrealistic after-sales support expectations of some farmers.
“You will not get the local car dealership to fix your car last thing on a Friday night, and tractor service technicians have a family life too, so why should they be considered somehow different?”
The current shortage of agricultural mechanics was raised by Carol Nolan during last week's Dáil debate on apprenticeship and further education and training.
Further education Minister Simon Harris said more people than ever before were registering to become apprentices.
"In 2022, record numbers of people registered. This year, we expect to do even better. I am pleased to tell the House that we are on course to have 9,000 newly-registered apprentices this year."
He said the global pandemic that shut down education and training for a significant period of time led to an apprenticeship covid-19 backlog, but Solas (which manages a range of further education and training programmes), individual trainers, and Education and Training Boards provided additional capacity.
The covid-19 backlog peaked at about 11,000 people, but is now down to just over 5,000, and Solas has a plan to eradicate that backlog in 2023.
"I want to address the issue of apprenticeship pay," Mr Harris said.
Apprentices are currently excluded from the provisions of the National Minimum Wage Act.
"Payment of sub-minimum rates of pay to some apprentices, in addition to the climate in which we are now living where there are serious cost-of-living challenges, runs the risk of undermining the case that apprenticeship is a valued option and could well have the effect of discouraging someone from taking up an apprenticeship," the minister said.
