Morphett Air Featured in The Advertiser: The Challenge of Keeping Skilled Workers in Small Business

Morphett Air has been proudly serving South Australians for more than five decades, but like many family-owned and small businesses, one of the challenges facing our industry is attracting and retaining skilled workers.

That issue was recently highlighted in The Advertiser, with Morphett Air Manager Shane Rawson speaking about the pressures private businesses can face when competing for skilled employees.

The article, titled “Fight to keep workers – Small business battling big bucks in SA’s public sector,” featured Shane outside Morphett Air’s iconic blue building at 602 Marion Road, Park Holme.

Small Businesses Competing for Skilled Workers

The Advertiser article examined wage growth in South Australia’s public sector and the challenges this can create for private-sector employers competing for workers.

For businesses such as Morphett Air, having access to qualified and experienced tradespeople is essential. Our industry relies on people with specialised training, licences, practical experience and technical knowledge.

Speaking to The Advertiser, Shane explained that Morphett Air has experienced issues retaining and hiring skilled workers, particularly when experienced tradespeople can be attracted by the money available on large government projects.

As Shane told the newspaper:

“But what that does is it just puts more strain on our industry.”

It’s an issue that extends beyond Morphett Air. When different sectors are competing for a limited pool of skilled workers, smaller private businesses can face additional pressure when trying to recruit and retain experienced staff.

Skilled Trades Take Time to Develop

Finding a skilled tradesperson isn’t as simple as filling an ordinary vacancy.

Air conditioning, refrigeration, electrical and plumbing work requires extensive training and practical experience. Apprentices spend years developing their skills before becoming qualified tradespeople, and their knowledge continues to grow through years of working in the field.

For an air conditioning business, that experience can be particularly valuable.

From diagnosing a complicated system fault to designing a ducted air conditioning system, servicing existing equipment or completing a new installation, our technicians need to understand increasingly sophisticated equipment while maintaining the practical skills the trade has always required.

That makes retaining experienced people — and training the next generation — incredibly important for the future of our industry.

More Than 50 Years as a South Australian Family Business

For Morphett Air, the importance of passing on skills and experience is particularly significant because of our history as a family business.

Morphett Air was founded by John and Lorraine Rawson and has remained a family-owned and operated South Australian business for more than five decades.

Today, that family legacy continues through their children, Shane Rawson, Brad Rawson and Sam Sykes, who work together in running Morphett Air.

Shane, who was featured in The Advertiser article, runs the business alongside his siblings Brad and Sam, continuing what their parents started more than 50 years ago.

Across those decades, the air conditioning industry has changed enormously. Equipment has become more sophisticated, controls have become smarter and the technology used to heat and cool Australian homes continues to evolve.

But one thing hasn’t changed: good people and good tradespeople remain at the heart of the business.

Investing in the Next Generation of Tradespeople

One of the ways the trades industry can respond to skills shortages is by continuing to develop the next generation.

Apprenticeships provide young people with an opportunity to learn practical skills from experienced tradespeople while working towards their qualifications. Just as importantly, they allow decades of knowledge and experience to be passed from one generation of technicians to another.

For established businesses, investing in apprentices and younger workers helps ensure those skills aren’t lost as experienced tradespeople eventually move on or retire.

It’s a long-term investment, but one that’s important not only for individual businesses but for the future of the trade itself.

Supporting South Australian Small Business

The challenges discussed in The Advertiser aren’t unique to Morphett Air.

Small and family businesses across South Australia employ local people, train apprentices, support other local businesses and provide essential services to homes and workplaces every day.

For these businesses to continue doing that, having a strong and sustainable skilled workforce matters.

Being featured in The Advertiser gave Shane the opportunity to highlight some of the challenges businesses like ours experience behind the scenes when competing for experienced workers.

For Morphett Air, we’re proud to have been part of South Australia’s air conditioning industry for more than 50 years — and equally proud of the people who have helped us get here.

From John and Lorraine Rawson establishing the business, to Shane, Brad and Sam continuing the family legacy today, Morphett Air remains a proudly South Australian family business.

And as the industry continues to change, we’ll continue investing in our people, sharing our knowledge and doing what we’ve been doing for generations — keeping Adelaide comfortable.

When it’s too hot or cold to bare, reach for the Morphett Air ❄️☀️