10-07-2025
Aussie construction boss reveals the huge problem with younger workers - and it's stopping many from becoming tradies
A frustrated Australian construction boss says he's finding it hard to take on more apprentices because many young Australians don't have a driver's licence.
Scott Challen, who heads Brisbane-based home renovator The QHI group, said he was recently asked to take on a 19-year-old apprentice and was happy to help, until he discovered the applicant didn't have a licence, something he considers a basic requirement for the job.
He also criticised the Albanese Government's $10,000 incentive payment for hiring construction apprentices, saying it's ineffective if young people can't even drive to job sites.
'Let me tell you what the real problem with getting apprentices on board in the construction industry,' he said.
'A good friend rings me up and says would I consider putting her son on as a carpentry apprentice and I'm like absolutely, always looking for good kids.
'She goes, he hasn't got a driver's license and I'm like what do mean he hasn't got a driver's licence.'
The builder was told the young man had completed the required lessons and logged enough hours, but had failed the driving test three times. Due to long wait times, there was a three-month gap between each attempt.
He explained that having a car and licence is essential, as apprentices need to travel to multiple job sites across the state.
'It's not practical for this kid to be an apprentice,' he said.
The Aussie builder revealed the problem ran deeper than that one teenager.
'I did a bit more digging around on this and apparently there's a whole generation of kids out there who can't get their driver's licences which means they can't get a job,' he said.
'If you really want to fix the problem of getting kids into apprenticeships why aren't we making driving lessons in high school mandatory.
'Why aren't we helping these kids leave school with their driver's licence - wouldn't that make sense.
'These Aussie kids got to go through all these hoops and barriers and hit all these friction points just to get a driver's licence.'
Several studies over the past decade have shown a decline in the number of teenagers and young adults getting their driver's licences compared to previous generations.
In South Australia, one study found that licensing rates among 17 to 19-year-olds fell from 62 per cent in 2009 to 55 per cent in 2018.
In Victoria, the proportion of people under 25 with a licence dropped from 77 per cent in 2001 to 66 per cent in recent years.
Australians responded to the construction boss's comments by sharing their own frustrations about how difficult it is to progress from taking a first driving lesson to actually getting a licence.
'Add driving lessons to the long list of life ready skills they don't teach in school,' one said.
'The cost of the test and licence is expensive - finding time to get the hours up between long work hours is not easy.'
'Imagine disadvantaged kids trying to actually pay for 120 hours of lessons,' a second said.
'We need a solution. No money to pay for lessons because parents couldn't afford it.'
Others suggested that not being able to hire the teenager might have been a blessing in disguise.
'If he's failing three times he doesn't have the capacity to follow orders and maintain instructions, he also has his mother speaking for him,' one said.
'He is not the kind of person you want working for you in the first place.'
A second said: 'If they're failing to just get a driver's licence, they're probably going to struggle with an apprenticeship too and you're going to have to carry them.'
