Road and workshop
Page 40
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Manpower, maintenance
and the MoT (32) by Handyman
• So great is the shortage of skilled men that instead of just going ahead with probably fruitless advertising, I think we must try another approach. That is to take a look at the task ahead—and what it really calls for in degrees of skill—then take another look around the labour market.
It must be realized that calculations in man-hours per vehicle can mean one tradesman or several on the task together—thus the calculation has nothing to do with turnround time, but simply the hours that it takes to do certain jobs.
Now for the main point—the degree of skill that is called for. Here we find that this varies, as part of the hours can need top skill and another part can be handled by the semi-skilled.
Therefore we should now take a fresh look at the skilled side, arid determine just where we need the top skilled motor fitter who can diagnose trouble, set valve and pump timing, etc., and who knows brakes and their ailments. Then we must look at other tasks well within the capability of the straight bench-trained fitter, where drilling, fitting, measuring and welding are called for, but not necessarily motor vehicle knowledge. In this latter field it is possible to find a number of good men who, while having no experience whatever on road vehicles, can tackle any chassis or suspension job, and can weld, braze or refabricate worn brackets, levers, members, etc. And there is ample scope for this work on vehicles and trailers today.
These men are not often considered when looking for maintenance staff, yet not only have they the basic training to do many tasks on road vehicles, but they are also available in many parts of the country, particularly in areas where mines or railway works have closed down. So there is now a good reason to look at all branches of industry where the fitter or mechanic is employed, and stop being so hide-bound in the idea that only a man brought up in transport can do transport vehicle repairs, because this is far from the case. There is a new market to explore once this idea has got across.